Safe
by usuckbananas
Summary: Future Fic!  Dan/Blair seek solace in each other while Serena's life is in a downward spiral.
1. Prologue

**Safe**

**A/N This is a future fic. They're all about 25 or so. Everyone kinda gets explained throughout the story. The W Dair arc happened, but that lovely kiss did not. :D The prologue is kind of a mess, but I swear to you it does not jump around like this. I just wanted to be able to get the backstory into the story itself.**

**Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the laptop I'm typing this on. Although, if the writers want to give me Dan Humphrey I'll happily accept.**

Rufus, Lily, Jenny, Eric, Dan, Nate, Chuck and Blair all sat quietly in a private waiting room waiting for news from the doctors. These trips were becoming all too frequent lately.

Lily sat with her eyes closed wondering if her daughter could ever get her act together. It had been four years since Serena had dropped out from Columbia. Four years since she had begun her downward spiral. Another Saturday night, another night that Serena will escape a near overdose.

"I'm sure she'll be fine kids." Lily said. "You all should get some sleep tonight. I'll stay."

Dan nodded his head as he stood up grabbing his jacket. Four years ago, he finally decided to let go of his first love. It was the day when he had walked in on Serena after a major drug bender. He gave her an ultimatum that day. Get her life together or he was gone.

"_Serena, you can't keep doing this to yourself. You need to get yourself together." He said as he kicked a syringe away from his path._

"_Dan, just because I don't have the same goals-"_

"_Goals? You don't have any goals!" he interrupted._

"_I have goals to enjoy life!" She stated._

"_I can't keep doing this Serena. I can't worry about you every waking moment. So Serena." He said forcing her to look into his eyes. "It's either me or this." He said pointing to her room and lifestyle._

_Serena stared into his eyes and looked down, unwilling to move._

"_I guess that's my answer." Dan said as he stood up and walked out of her Upper East Side Apartment. When he felt the cool breeze hit him as he left the building he turned around half hoping to see her coming off the elevator. He waited there for thirty minutes. Then his hope was lost. He made a vow to himself that day. A vow that he would no longer allow the negativity that was Serena Van der Woodsen effect him._

Four years later and he was still here, trying to make sure that Serena would be okay.

Dan, Nate, Jenny, Chuck, Eric, and Blair made their way towards the elevator.

"Anybody want to head to The Empire for a drink?" Chuck asked, though he already knew the plan. The group had a Saturday night ritual at this point. Most Saturday nights, Serena would end up in the hospital and they would all end up at The Empire for drinks afterwards.

"Humphey! I can't believe you just told them that!" Blair said as she hit him on his arm.

"She thought you were into her!" Dan laughed.

"I thought she was stealing from the fashion department." Blair said trying to explain why she had tried getting an intern to take off her top.

"You could have just asked her if she was stealing instead of risking a lawsuit!" Dan added laughing. It was funny in hindsight.

Their sophomore year of college Dan and Blair found that they had more things in common than just Serena. They bonded over their love for art, cinema, and literature. So it was only natural to them when they graduated to join forces. They ended up starting an art magazine published quarterly.

Blair then decided that she wanted to branch off and do a high-end fashion magazine. As they were discussing how to keep her involved with the art magazine, Dan suggested that they also tackle this together as well. That was how the Waldorf-Humphrey magazine group was built.

"I still can't believe that you two manage to work together." Nate laughed. He had returned from Los Angeles last year when he found out his grandfather was ill.

"I've been in that office. There needs to be a sign, 'Beware of Flying Objects,'" Jenny giggled. She had finally returned to the city two years ago so that she could continue pursuing her fashion design career. She never expected her designing career to flourish this early. She especially did not expect that to happen thanks to Dan and Blair.

"Last time I was there I got drilled in the head by a stapler." Chuck added.

"You kind of deserved that one though." Dan laughed.

"I was suggesting that we have pork for lunch, not calling Blair pork chop." Chuck said.

"I don't think you eat pork." Dan laughed.

"For once Humphrey, can you just go along with what I'm saying?" Chuck groaned. Over the years Chuck and Dan had finally gotten along over family brunch. A year ago, there was a worker at The Empire that claimed Chuck had fired her because she refused to have sex with him. Those were dark days for Chuck, but Dan had written an article attesting to his character stating that yes, Chuck had made some mistakes in his past, but he had made changes in his life. With that article, the media attention swarming said circus disappeared allowing Chuck to save his name. That was the moment that Chuck really considered Dan a friend.

Blair however was another story. Chuck had finally won her back. Convinced her that he was ready for a serious relationship and that she was his forever. He was perfect for the first year of their relationship. Then, he had made one mistake. He had run into Eva on the streets of Manhattan and one drink had lead to another and he found himself back at her hotel room. Blair had found out via Gossip Girl and refused to ever speak to him again. The next time that he had spoken to her was the first time Serena had ended up at the hospital. They've been civil ever since, but there was still a part of him that longed for her. It didn't make it any easier that he saw her frequently due to his relationship with Dan.

"Well, I've got an early morning, so I must close up shop." Chuck groaned as he remembered his early flight to Japan.

"Yeah, and we're heading out to Miami tomorrow." Blair reminded Dan.

"Same time next week?" Eric asked. He had recently returned from college in San Francisco. He watched from afar as piece by piece his mother had been falling apart because of his sister.

"Let's hope not." Nate groaned.

"Want to share a cab?" Dan asked Blair as they got up to leave.

"May as well." Blair said grabbing her coat.

Dan had finally moved to the Upper East Side. Although, Blair would say because he liked it and Dan would say due to its proximity to the office. They've lived in the same building for the last year and a half.

"I'm going to run to the restroom. Meet you out there." Blair called as she made her way towards the restroom.

"Do you think she's ever going to get better? Blair asked Dan as they made their way into the elevator.

"She won't unless she wants to. There isn't much any of us can do for her anymore." Dan said as he pressed the button for her floor.

"I know that, but it just kills me to see my best friend do nothing with her life. " Blair continued.

"It kills us all." Dan sadly added as they made their way off the elevator and into her penthouse. "So I'll see you in the morning?" he asked.

"Yeah, what time will the car be here?" she asked.

"Ten. Hey," Dan said grabbing Blair's arm. "We have a big day tomorrow. I had to learn years ago to let go of her. Don't keep letting her affect your life too."

"I know, it's just that it keeps happening and every week it's the same story. Every time, I keep telling myself, 'this is it, she's finally going to learn,' but she doesn't." She said as the tears began to flow.

"Hey," Dan said pulling her into a hug. "I know, but like I said, she's going to have to figure this out on her own. The more we try to push her the further from recovery she'll be."

"I miss my best friend." Blair said as she rested her head on his chest.

"We all do." Dan answered as he held her tight. After a minute of standing there Dan lifted her chin so she would look at him. "I need you tomorrow Waldorf, get some rest."

She nodded slowly as she stared into his concerned brown eyes. She closed her eyes as she leaned into him for a kiss seeking solace in the one person that understood how she felt. In the one person that had always been there for her.

**A/N I apologize, but this is my first time using and I'm still figuring out the formatting**.


	2. Serena

**Serena**

Dan slowly pulled away from Blair. "Blair, what are we doing?" he asked.

"I'm kissing you." She replied pulling his lips into hers again. She wrapped her arms around his neck to prevent him from pulling away this time.

"I get that." Dan said when she finally pulled away for air. "I'm just trying to figure out why."

Blair sighed as she let go of him and walked over to the sofa. She sat down and put her head in her hands and began to softly sob.

Dan sat down next to her and pulled her close again. "I can go to Miami alone if you need some time." He whispered.

"I'm fine." She said wiping away the tears.

"Blair, you are not fine."

"I can't stay here! You can't leave me here with Lily and Rufus and Jenny and Eric and Serena lying in a hospital bed! I can't do this anymore!" she said completely breaking down this time as she clutched onto him.

"Blair," Dan began but was interrupted by his phone vibrating in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at Blair. "Give me a second, I need to take this." He said as he walked to a more private area of the penthouse.

When Dan returned he had a somber look on his face. "She's awake. Do you want to go see her?"

Blair didn't respond. Just grabbed her purse and headed towards the elevator as Dan followed.

* * *

Dan and Blair were the first to arrive and greeted Lily. "How is she?" Blair asked hugging Lily.

"She'll be okay." Lily smiled.

"Is there anything I can do? Get you some coffee?" Dan asked.

"I'm fine, thank you Daniel." Lily said. "Did you kids want to see her? She's awake."

Dan and Blair looked at each other. Despite the fact that nearly every Saturday night they were at the hospital waiting for Serena to wake up, neither of them had actually spoken to her in over a year.

That didn't mean they hadn't tried. They had unreturned calls and texts. They stopped bothering all together after awhile. They still remembered the last time they had seen her face to face.

_Dan and Blair were at the office finalizing their next issue for their art magazine when Samantha, their receptionist came over the intercom._

"_Um Mr. Humphrey…I have Serena Van der Woodsen here to see you. She claims to know both you and Ms. Waldorf." Samantha said with a hint of fear in her voice._

"_Samantha, do you know why she's here? Can let you let her know we're busy and we'll get back to her?" Dan said as he scanned the magazine._

"_She insists sir, she says it's urgent." Samantha said still sounding worried._

"_Just let her up for five minutes." Blair said to Dan. "She's going to scare that poor girl." Referring to Samantha._

"_We're almost finish Blair, this needs to be finalized by five." Dan reminded her glancing at his watch as he saw they only had two hours._

"_Send her in, but tell her she needs to be quick." Blair said pressing the intercom button._

_Dan glared at her. _

"_We'd still be arguing if it wasn't for me." Blair said nonchalantly. "She comes up for a few minutes, she's gone and low and behold we're done. On time and everything."_

_Dan groaned._

"_What are you guys doing?" Serena asked as she walked in without knocking._

_The second that Dan and Blair saw her they knew they had to get her out of there. She was high and that was a recipe for disaster at their place of business._

"_Just working." Blair smiled as she grabbed her coat. "I think Dan can finish up right Humphrey?"_

"_Yes of course." Dan nodded knowing what Blair was up to._

"_How about you and I get some lunch?" Blair asked Serena._

"_I want to see what you guys do with your day." Serena said stoned out of her mind. "What's this?" she asked as she noticed the magazine on the table._

"_It's just a rough copy of the next issue," Dan said grabbing the magazine before she could get to it._

"_Aww, let me see." Serena droned trying to get it from Dan._

"_Really, Serena now is not the time." He said trying to keep her away._

"_Fine!" Serena said as she grabbed her purse and threw it at Dan. He ducked and the purse hit the glass wall instead. The wall began to shake and Dan just knew it was going to shatter. When it didn't he looked incredulously at Serena. Before he got the chance to say anything she said, "I never want to talk to either of you again!" She stomped out of their office causing quite the scene and true to her word she hadn't spoken to either of them since._

"I think we should." Dan said as he looked at Blair. "You need to tell her everything you told me tonight."

Blair nodded as she followed behind Dan into Serena's room.

"Hey." Blair said softly as she grabbed a hold of Dan's hand.

Serena looked up, but barely acknowledged their presence.

"How are you?" Blair asked.

"Please," Serena said. "Don't act like you care."

"We wouldn't be here if we didn't." Dan said.

"You weren't here all the other times." Serena added as she let a tear fall.

"We're always here Serena." Blair said letting go of Dan's hand and taking a seat on Serena's bed. "Every Saturday night, we drop everything and wait with your mom in the waiting room. Fearing the worst. Serena," Blair said beginning to let the tears flow, "you can't keep doing this. To yourself, to Lily, to Eric, to me."

"I'm not doing anything." Serena said as she diverted her eyes away from Blair. "So I party every once in awhile. It's not hurting anyone."

"It's hurting you." Dan said. "And Lily, and look at Blair." He said pausing as he watched the brunette wipe away her tears. "You can't keep doing this."

"You can't tell me what to do." Serena said.

"You're right," Dan replied, "I'm asking – no wait, begging you to get better."

"You turned your back on me years ago." Serena said. "You have no right to ask or beg for anything."

"No one has turned their back on you Serena. Every time you end up in here, we're all here. Hoping that one day you're going to figure it out, hoping that one day you'll wake up and see that this isn't the person that you're supposed to be." Blair said tearfully.

"You have no idea who I am." Serena said beginning to get angry.

"Really?" Dan asked matching her tone. "You didn't finish school, you don't have a job. Your friends are your drug dealers. Serena, if you don't get help, one day the people you need most aren't going to be there when you wake up."

"I don't need any of you. Not you guys, not my mom, I can do this on my own."

"Do what on your own?" Blair asked. "What exactly are you doing?"

"Why are you guys interrogating me? I didn't yell or question you guys when you chose each other over me!" Serena spat.

"Chose each other?" Blair asked.

"Every day you guys spent together. Every day!" Serena yelled.

"We're business partners." Dan said perplexed.

"How convenient." Serena rolled her eyes. "Well, don't you need to go do something about your business?"

"In fact," Dan said glancing at his watch, "we have a plane to catch in eight hours, but we care about you and we came here tonight."

"I can't keep doing this S." Blair said rejoining the conversation. "I need to know now, if you're going to continue your life like this, because if so, I won't be around the next time you wake up." She added as she began crying again.

Serena unable to take this any longer grabbed the first thing she could, her cup of ice and flung it at Blair. "I don't want you here!' she screamed.

"Then I won't be." Blair said as she grabbed her purse and walked out of the room.

Dan stood there staring at Serena. "I can't believe you," he whispered as he followed behind Blair.

* * *

The cab ride back to their building was mostly silent.

"Fuck her!" Blair said out of nowhere.

Dan eyed her and although it was a serious moment, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Seriously Humphrey? Why on earth are you laughing?"

"Because hearing you swear is so strange. You're the epitome of class. It just doesn't go together."

Blair looked at him with interest and then said, "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck."

The cab driver eyed them in the rearview mirror as Blair and Dan burst into laughter.

Dan smiled thankful of the tension that had released from their visit with Serena. He pulled Blair close to him and said, "Serena was right about one thing though."

Blair froze. "And what is that?"

"I would've chosen you over her."

* * *

**A/N: So I guess I'm a stickler for cliffhangers. I wanted to get a lot of the Serena story out to avoid making this story completely about her. Thanks for reading, if any of you are of course. :D**


	3. Business Partners

**A/N: So, this chapter actually wrote itself. I have an outline for where I want to take this story and this chapter went it in a completely different direction than I expected. I'm quite fond of it though, and I hope some of you are as well. :D **

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**Business Partners**

Blair smiled at Dan thankful for his kind words as the cab pulled up to their building. Dan paid the driver as they made their way inside. Dan pressed the elevator button and then glanced at his watch.

"I can't believe that we have to be up in four hours." He groaned.

"Sleep is for the weak," Blair said. "You all packed?" she asked.

"Yeah, should've spent the week in Miami." He said as they entered the elevator and he once again pushed the button for her floor.

"No one ever wants to listen to me. That was my idea last week!" she claimed.

"I wasn't expecting this drama to unfold before we left. You're not psychic Waldorf." He said as the elevator reached her floor.

"Everyone needs a vacation. Lord knows that you and I do." She said remembering the nonstop work nights they've had since opening their company.

"Yeah, you're right, we could always change plans." He smiled.

"Can't." she said turning on the light in her penthouse. "We have a meeting Wednesday. New advertisers." She reminded him.

"Ever wish you could go back to high school?" he asked taking a seat on her sofa.

"Yes, all of the time. I have no idea why you'd wish that though." She laughed joining him on the loveseat. "High school was horrible for you."

"True, but Serena was normal, and I didn't have a quarter of the responsibilities that I have now."

"Yes, but the responsibilities are just a reminder of how successful you are." She smiled. "I have to say Humphrey, you've impressed me the most, look at you." She gestured towards him. "Living on the Upper East Side, wearing a designer suit everyday, you've turned into everything you swore you'd never be."

Dan laughed. "Yeah, strange thing is, I wouldn't change anything about my life."

Blair eyed him. "Not even Serena?" she asked.

"Well, I'd change her life, but her and I?" he asked as she nodded. "No, I'm content not being with her. Everything that's happened, the company, my success as you put it, I've done it on my own, without her. I wouldn't go back in time just to be with her and run the risk of not being in this exact place, at this exact moment." He smiled.

"With me?" Blair laughed at the ridiculousness of it all, remembering their youth.

"With you." He smiled as she let out another yawn. "We should head to bed." He said wrapping an arm around her small form and planting a comforting kiss on her forehead. "You need a wake up call?" He asked helping her up off the sofa.

"Why don't you just stay?" she asked standing up. "I really don't want to be alone tonight. Plus, you have to be up just as early." She reminded him.

Dan yawned. "I'll have to go grab something to sleep in." He said as he began to undo his tie.

"It's only four hours." She said as she pulled him up the stairs.

They made their way into Blair's bedroom and Dan sat on his side of her bed. It wasn't the first night he had slept over. Of course, it hadn't happened in a while. The sleepovers were the main reason he had decided to move to the Upper East Side. Most nights, he was too tired to head back to Brooklyn, so he would just crash at Blair's. At first, he would sleep on the sofa, but Blair claimed that couldn't be good for his back, so he moved to one of her guest rooms. Then, the first night that Serena had ended up in the hospital, Dan stayed with Blair until she fell asleep. Only, he too fell asleep in her bed. That arrangement had stuck, except the few nights he had gone home to Brooklyn or until he had moved into her building.

"This trip better be worth it." Dan said as he began pulling off his suit.

"Really Humphrey?" Blair asked from the bathroom. "Are you still questioning my judgment?" she asked. "I know that you're Upper East Side and everything now, but I still think my eye is better than yours." She said making her way back into the room and pulling the sheets back.

"I know," Dan smiled settling into Blair's bed, "but something about her look makes me question if she's going to appeal to our target audience."

"It's a summer in the Hampton's look." Blair said turning off the lamp. "Definitely not a city look." She said remembering the colorful tones.

"Oh yes, I wish I could get a summer in the Hamptons." Dan said exhausted as he rolled over to make himself more comfortable.

"Actually, that was my idea for the summer art issue." She said placing her hand on his knee to get him to stop squirming. "Maybe we can do the Hamptons. Architecture, see what local artists are coming up with, just the scene in general. Then for fashion, we could definitely do the Hamptons look for the summer months." She yawned.

"I actually love that idea." He smiled grabbing her hand that was on his knee as they both began to drift to sleep.

* * *

"Waldorf." Dan said giving her shoulder a gentle shake.

"Five more minutes." She groaned rolling over.

"Waldorf, I already gave you an extra hour to sleep, you need to get up." He laughed.

Blair's eyes shot open as she saw that he was fully dressed, Armani suit and all.

"Oh my God, how late am I?" she asked as she jumped out of bed.

Dan pulled her to a stop. "Relax," he smiled. "You were exhausted, I pushed everything back a couple of hours. You have some time."

Blair relaxed and smiled. "Thanks, I'm going to hop in the shower." She said as she gathered her things.

"Take your time, I'll go grab some breakfast." He said as he made his way out of her room.

* * *

When Blair came downstairs she was dressed and ready. Dan was reading the paper at the dining room table with pastries and coffee waiting for her.

"I'm starving." Blair said as she sat down and grabbed a croissant.

"I figured as much," Dan replied taking a sip of his coffee. "The car should be here pretty soon." He said glancing at his watch.

"What time's the meeting?" Blair asked as she continued eating her breakfast.

"I pushed it to seven." He said. "I figured that would give you time to sleep in and for us to settle in the hotel for a little bit."

Blair looked at him and smile, "You know, you're amazing."

Dan put the paper down and gave her a confused look.

"Seriously, I don't think I've ever said this, and I may never say it again, but listen closely." She smiled. "Of all of the people that I could've ended up being business partners with, I'm truly grateful that it's you Humphrey."

Dan looked at her and then smiled. "Right back at you Waldorf."

* * *

**Also, while writing I try my best to add as much visual as I can. I kinda hope that everyone can kind of see scenes playing out in their heads, which is why I add so much detail. If you can please let me know what you think of it, it would be greatly appreciated. Even if you hate it and think it's too much and redundant.**


	4. Dinner and Intervention

**Dinner and Intervention**

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******A/N **just as a friendly reminder, this story is rate M

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"Dinner. Tonight. The Empire." Dan read the text aloud to Blair.

"I thought he was still in Japan." Blair said as she read over an article written by one of the interns.

"He got back yesterday." Dan said yawning. They had returned from Miami that morning and he hadn't slept very well while there.

"_NO!" Blair screamed in her sleep._

_Dan rolled over and put his arm around her. "Blair, wake up," He said as he shook her._

_Blair's eyes flew open and she allowed them to settle in the darkness. "It was about Serena again." She said tearing up as she clung onto him._

"_Blair," Dan yawned as he pushed her sweaty hair off of her forehead, "I know you're worried about her, but right now I'm worried about you. You've hardly eaten."_

"_I know." Blair sighed. "I just have a lot on my mind."_

"_Try to get some sleep. I'm right here." He said as he cuddled next to her. _

_When they had arrived in Miami they had found out that their assistant had incorrectly booked a two-bedroom suite as opposed to two suites. They decided to roll with it and Dan had never been more thankful for an error, when in the middle of the night he heard Blair's high pitch screams. He rushed to her side and stayed with her until she fell asleep._

"Are you going?" Blair asked as she moved to her next article.

"Yeah, when Chuck Bass starts uttering one word sentences, it's a command not an invitation." He yawned again.

"Maybe you should go get some rest." She said knowing that she was probably the reason he was so tired.

"I'm fine. Remember, sleep is for the weak." He smiled.

"Maybe you're weak then?" she laughed when she saw him yawn again.

"Waldorf, get to work, dinner's in an hour and Chuck Bass will go Chuck Bass if we're late." He said as he moved on to the next article.

"Chuck Bass is already Chuck Bass and if Chuck Bass gets all Chuck Bass, who cares because he's already Chuck Bass." She smiled knowing that he had no idea what she was saying in his sleepy state.

He looked at her confused and said, "That may be the most times you've said his name in thirty seconds in three years."

"You really don't want to know how many times I used to say 'Chuck Bass'" she laughed at his horrified face.

"And this conversation just went south. We need to get back to work though. We need to be out of here in twenty minutes."

* * *

Blair and Dan arrived to find that Jenny, Nate and Eric had already arrived.

"Where's Chuck?" Dan asked pulling Blair's seat out for her.

"Why?" Blair asked, "are you going to go Chuck Bass on him?" she smiled as she took her seat.

"I'm about to go Chuck Bass on you." Dan said as she broke into a fit of laughter.

"Did this conversation just go kinky?" Nate asked watching them amused. "What does going Chuck Bass mean?"

"Good question." Dan said expecting an answer from Blair until he saw the mischief in her eyes and he decided he didn't want to know. "What's going on?" he asked before Blair could say anything.

"That is a good question Daniel." Chuck said as he walked into the private room. "As you all know, I just returned from Tokyo yesterday and I am proud to announce, that I have just acquired Tokyo's largest independent hotel. I wanted my closest friends to find out first." He said as a waiter came in with glasses of champagne.

"Congratulations." Dan said standing up and pulling Chuck into a man hug.

"Thank you, it'll be a few months before the acquisition is complete, but it's looking very promising." Chuck smiled as he toasted with his friends.

* * *

"You doing okay?" Chuck asked as he took a seat next to Dan.

"I'm fine. It's just…this whole Serena thing is really taking a toll on Blair." Dan sighed as he watched Blair in an animated conversation with Jenny.

"What's going on?" Chuck asked concerned that he had missed something while he was away.

"Well," Dan sighed, "Blair and I actually spoke with Serena Saturday night. To say that things ended badly would be an understatement." Dan gave Blair a small smile when he saw that she was looking at him.

Chuck caught the moment and put down his glass. "Is something going on?" he asked.

"What?" Dan asked confused.

"Between you and Blair?" Chuck asked watching Dan intently.

"Other than us being business partners and friends?" Dan asked. "No."

"You don't have to lie to me Daniel." Chuck said eyeing him.

"And I wouldn't, but there's nothing going on…" Dan said getting confused.

"I'm just saying" Chuck said taking another drink of his scotch. "You're a good friend Humphrey, to me and to Blair, and if you have feelings for her, you don't need my blessing." Chuck said sincerely.

"Um…thank you Chuck, but seriously there's nothing going on between us." Dan said still confused.

"It's just, you know I love Blair, and you know I've screwed up so many times with her. I've made so many mistakes and I would take back all of them if I could." Chuck said as he looked over at Blair who was making a face at Jenny who she was telling a story. "You're the one person that I would trust to take care of her. The one person that I would trust to love her like she deserves to be loved."

Dan stared at Chuck and grabbed his empty glass of scotch, "Seriously, how much have you had to drink?" he asked.

* * *

Blair smiled as Jenny excused herself to the restroom and Nate replaced her.

"So what's going on between you and Dan?" Nate asked as he saw Blair look at Dan for the hundredth time that night.

"What are you talking about?" Blair asked.

"It's just, you've been making eyes at him all night. You guys spend every moment of every day with each other. Are you guys shacking up?" Nate asked interested in the gossip.

Blair almost spit out her wine. "What? No, I am not 'shacking up' with Dan Humphrey."

"Really?" Nate asked kind of disappointed that he wasn't getting any privileged information.

"Yes really! I can't believe you'd even ask me that Archibald!"

"You guys are awfully chummy." Nate said as he watched Dan talk to Chuck and take a glance at Blair.

"We're just friends." Blair said as she gave Dan a small smile as he caught her eye again.

"Something's definitely going on." Nate nodded talking to himself.

"Oh shut up Archibald." Blair said as she hit him on the chest. She then made her way over to where Dan was talking to Chuck. "You ready to head out Humphrey?" Blair asked giving Chuck a small smile.

"Yeah, maybe I'll get some sleep tonight." Dan said getting out of his chair and Nate, who had just walked up gave Blair a smirk. She glared back at him. When Dan went to grab his coat his phone rang. Dan looked at his phone. "Hey Lily, what's going on?" he asked. "Yeah, I'm with them right now." He said, as he looked at the rest of them confused. "Sure, we'll head over." He said and then hung up the phone.

"Lily wants us all to come over." He said as they looked on. "She wants to talk about Serena."

* * *

They all arrived at Lily's penthouse to joined Rufus and Lily in the living room.

"Thank you all for coming here tonight." Lily sighed. "I went over to Serena's place to talk to her and she's gotten worse. I don't know how to get through to her, but something needs to be done."

Blair and Dan looked at each other. "Lily, we tried to talk to her on Saturday night, and she didn't want to hear what either of us had to say," Dan said.

"She threw a cup at me." Blair said, "a cup. At me!"

"I know dear, but she's going through a lot and I think it would be best that we have a unified approach. If she sees that all of us are there and how much we care for her, then maybe she'll change her mind."

"Mom, with all due respect, I've been back for a year and I've tried to talk to her everyday. She's going to have to hit rock bottom." Eric said.

"I'm pretty sure rock bottom for her is going to have to be death." Chuck added sadly.

"It doesn't have to be that way." Rufus said.

"We were just hoping that all of you could join us here next Wednesday. A doctor from the Ostroff Center will be joining us to stage an intervention." Lily stated.

"We can't make it." Dan said looking at Blair. "We fly out to Seattle Tuesday night."

"And I'll be in Tokyo." Chuck said.

"I understand that those are all busy meetings for you three, but Serena needs to get better." Rufus said.

"And Dad, I spent a lot of time trying to help her get better. I don't know how or when she's going to get better, but I can't put my life on hold hoping for the best for her." Dan said.

"I understand that Daniel, but what's one night?" Lily asked hoping he would change his mind.

"It would be one night in a string of many encompassing the last four years of my life." Dan sighed. "Honestly, I don't mind helping out, but I can't back out of plans or important meetings to make way for Serena' problems."

"Dan," Rufus said, "she really needs the help."

"She's needed the help for four years! And I've tried, I've tried, but I'm not going to be the one who's able to reach out to her. I agree that maybe a unified front would help." Dan sighed as he let his shoulders drop. He turned towards Blair. "You want to reschedule our trip to Seattle?" he asked her.

"I'll see if we can push the meeting to Friday." Blair said as she grabbed her Blackberry and started making the arrangements.

Chuck also grabbed his blackberry and said, "and I'll cancel my trip to Tokyo."

* * *

"I can't believe that we had to change our plans for Serena again." Dan said as he sat on Blair's bed and began pulling off his shoes.

"It's not that big of a deal Humphrey!" Blair called from where she was washing her face in her bathroom.

Dan had agreed to stay with Blair after their trip to Miami until they were sure that she could sleep through the night.

"It is a big deal Blair." Dan said as he angrily yanked off his jacket and tie. "I used to wonder why I couldn't move on. Now, I'm fairly certain that there's a rope behind me holding me back." He said as he climbed into bed.

"Think about the positives in this." Blair said as she made her way out of the bathroom and into her bed. "If for some insane reason this actually works, then she'll be at the Ostroff Center and we won't have to worry for awhile."

"I'm not supposed to worry now." Dan frowned as he began rubbing Blair's back to help her fall asleep.

After a few moments, Blair rolled over to face him and laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Dan asked confused.

"You will not believe the conversation that Nate and I had tonight. He seriously asked me if you and I are 'shacking up.'"

"What?" Dan asked. "I would say that was crazy, but I kid you not, I believe Chuck Bass actually granted me permission to court you."

Blair burst into laughter. "I don't even want to know where they get these ideas from."

"You can't really blame them." Dan said, "I mean we're together 24/7 pretty much. We work together, we eat together, we live in the same building, and right now we technically are sleeping together. I can see where they'd make those assumptions."

"True, but they know us, so they should know how absurd that is." She laughed.

"Well," Dan smiled, "if I remember correctly, it wasn't even a week ago when you were kissing me in the foyer."

"I just needed a distraction." Blair said settling more into bed. "It didn't mean anything and I felt nothing."

"That's because I didn't kiss you back." Dan teased. "If I would've kissed you back, I would've rocked your world."

"I'm sure," she rolled her eyes "Dan Humphrey would have no idea how to rock my world."

"Care to make a wager?" Dan asked with mischief.

"Sure." Blair smiled. "If my world isn't rocked, then you must accompany me to the Opera this weekend."

Dan groaned. "I was just kidding," he rolled over so he was facing away from her, "I'm okay with not being able to rock your world."

"Nope!" Blair smiled, "That counts as a forfeit and you're going with me!"

"Blair!" He groaned, "Fine, but if I win and I rock your world, then for the next week breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all served to me by you. All week." He said.

"Deal." Blair smiled as she held out her hand for him to shake on it.

When he placed his hand in hers, she used it as leverage and wrapped her arms around his neck as she pulled his lips to hers. He was so surprised by the action that he immediately froze when he felt her lips brush up against his. Blair was about to pull away and claim victory when Dan rolled over on top of her and began to deepen the kiss. Blair wrapped her arms tighter around his neck as she felt his tongue slide against hers.

Dan unable to resist the electricity parted only to allow Blair to pull his wifebeater over his head. Their lips met again and Blair rolled over to gain control as she swiftly pulled her own tank top over her head. Dan couldn't control his urge and instantly allowed his hands to roam over her bare breasts as his lips met the area between her neck and shoulder.

Blair allowed a soft moan to escape her lips as she felt Dan's lips move to her left nipple. Blair unable to control the sensation between her legs any longer rolled them over allowing Dan to be on top as she pulled her thong down and threw it on the floor. She immediately then reached for Dan's boxers which she pulled away easily. Blair grabbed a hold onto Dan and positioned him near her entry.

The reality of the situation hit Dan as he felt her soft fingers wrapped around him. "Blair," he said wrapping his hand around the wrist that held him. "Think about what we're about to do." He said staring into her eyes. "If we do this, there is no going back."

Blair stared into his eyes as she shook off the hand that was holding onto her wrist and pulled him into her as she wrapped her legs around his waist. "I want this." She said as she crushed her lips to his. "I want you." She whispered as she pulled him even closer as they crossed the line of no return.


	5. Aftermath

**Aftermath**

**

* * *

**

Dan woke up to find himself alone in Blair's bed. It had been the best sleep he had gotten in over a week. "Blair," he called out to the empty penthouse.

He stood up and got dressed as he made his way downstairs. He found a note on the table that read: "Headed into the office early. See you there. –Blair"

Dan stared at the note confused. Blair never went into the office early. Most of the time He had to tell her to be there at seven for her to arrive by nine. "Benefits of being your own boss." She'd always say.

Dan's mind slowly drifted to the activities from the night before. He remembered every soft spot on her body. He remembered how she shuddered beneath him as his hand brushed against her hip. He remembered how she screamed his name when she reached her climax as he came tumbling down that same path.

Dan crumpled up the piece of paper and grabbed his keys as he left for his apartment so that he could hurry up and get to the office to talk to Blair.

* * *

When Dan arrived at the office Blair was looking over photos for their next fashion issue.

"Is everything okay?" Dan asked as he handed Blair a cup of coffee.

Blair surprised to see him, jumped at his words. "Everything's fine." She said taking the cup of coffee and went to change the subject, "what do you think?" she asked gesturing to the photos as she took a sip from her coffee.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Dan asked eyeing her as opposed to the pictures.

"Sure," Blair said as she picked up one photo where the model's back was slightly bent. "I really think that this girl needs to work on her posture."

Dan slowly took the photo from Blair's hand and placed it back on the table. "Not the pictures Blair, you, me and what happened last night."

"Oh that," Blair said as she grabbed her phone. "No, not really."

"Blair, we have to talk about it. We're both adults, we can't just pretend like it didn't happen."

"Yes we can." Blair smiled as she began going through her phone.

"No, we can't." Dan said as he once again took the photo from her hand. "Tell me what's going on in your head Blair. You and I have too much going on to leave this unresolved. It must be taken care of."

Blair looked at him and nodded, "I would love to, but my mother's in the city for the day and I owe her lunch. Maybe another time." She said as she made her way out of the office.

Dan sighed as he too grabbed his own blackberry. "Lunch. One. Urgent." he texted to both Chuck and Nate.

* * *

Dan sat staring at the same article for an hour. He looked at the clock that now read 1:02. "Where the hell are they?" he asked himself out loud.

"Seriously?" Nate said walking in "it's 2 minutes after."

"Yes, please tell us why we're here Daniel." Chuck said as he took a seat in front of Dan's desk and propped his feet on it.

"Okay, but first I need a drink." Dan said as he stood up and walked out of the door.

Nate and Chuck watched Dan's retreating form. "Ten bucks says it has something to do with Blair." Nate said as they followed after Dan.

* * *

"Humphrey, are you going to tell us why we're here?" Chuck asked as he watched Dan down his third drink.

"This is all your guys' fault." Dan said as he started to feel the alcohol hit him and ordered another.

"What exactly did we do?" Nate asked.

"You guys couldn't keep your opinions and thoughts to yourselves about Blair and I." Dan said as the bartender set his drink in front of him.

"What happened?" Chuck asked as he grabbed Dan's drink thinking Dan didn't need anymore.

Dan snatched his drink back from Chuck and said, "Well, we had sex and now she can't even look at me." Dan said as he downed that drink and ordered another. "Tell me, how am I supposed to run a business when my business partner can't even look at me?" he asked as the bartender sat another drink in front of him.

"You know," Chuck said as he grabbed that drink and downed it himself, "I don't think you need anymore." He said as he and Nate helped Dan up. "We should take him home." Chuck said to Nate.

Nate nodded as they helped Dan into Chuck's limo.

* * *

Nate dug through Dan's pocket to get his keys. "I always have to do the dirty work." Nate said as he finally found Dan's keys and opened the door to his apartment.

Dan's apartment wasn't small by normal people's standards, but for the Upper East Side it was definitely lackluster.

"You have nothing in your fridge." Nate said as he closed it.

"I haven't stayed here in awhile." Dan sighed. "I'm always at Blair's. I guess I should go grocery shopping." He said beginning to head out.

"Not right now Daniel." Chuck said as he forced Dan to sit down on the couch. "Tell us everything that happened."

"I already did. We got back to her place, got ready for bed, talked about what you guys said and then BAM! I'm between her legs and she's begging me for a release." Dan sighed.

"Okay, we don't need that much detail." Chuck smirked.

"Speak for yourself." Nate interrupted, "tell us everything."

Dan ignored them as he continued, "then I woke up alone in her bed, went to work, she was already there and she wouldn't even talk to me about it." He sighed as he sunk even lower onto the couch.

"What would you have said?" Chuck asked looking at him.

"What?" Dan asked as he sat up.

"You said you wanted to talk to her about it. What would you have said to her?" Chuck asked.

Dan shrugged. "I don't know, I hadn't really thought about it."

"Well think about it." Chuck said. "Imagine Nathaniel right here is Blair, what would you say to her?"

"You're far less attractive than you were yesterday." Dan said as he looked at Nate.

"Hey!" Nate laughed at the sheer ridiculousness that Chuck was asking Dan to do. "Just, how do you feel about her?" he asked Dan.

"If you would have asked me yesterday, which you did," he said giving Chuck a look. "I would've said, we're just friends. Which, I was hoping we could still be today."

"So, you just slept with her hoping that nothing would change?" Chuck asked. "That doesn't seem like you."

"There was something about that moment though." Dan smiled. "Something about the way that she looked at me, the way that her skin felt beneath my finger tips. Something that screamed that I had to have her."

"How does that something feel today?" Nate asked as he watched Dan intently.

"I just feel like I've managed to ruin everything. I don't even have the excuse of being drunk. I knew what I was doing and I knew who I was doing it with. I wanted it," Dan sighed. "Man did I want it."

"I'm surprised you guys made it this long." Nate said as he thought about it. "I mean, you haven't dated anyone for awhile and neither has she. It was bound to happen."

"I would've preferred that it hadn't had been with her." Dan shut his eyes to prevent tears from falling. He could not believe that he had screwed up this bad.

"That would've required you to have hung out with someone besides her." Chuck reminded him. "We can't help you Daniel unless you're going to tell us the truth." Chuck paused. "How do you really feel about her?"

Dan looked at Chuck and let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding in. "I have these dreams, I have three children," he smiles slightly. "Two boys and a little girl. Then the mother of my children would come in and for the longest time, she'd be Serena, but recently she had morphed into Blair. I didn't think that meant anything, I mean Blair's the first person I see when I wake up and the last person I see before I go to bed. Naturally I'd see her in my dreams too. After last night though," Dan said as he saw both Chuck and Nate staring at him. "I kind of like that dream with Blair as a part of it." Dan quietly admitted.

Nate smiled at Chuck as he realized what Dan had just admitted.

"It's about time Humphrey!" Chuck smiled. "Now, all you have to do is tell Blair that."

"Tell Blair what?" Dan asked confused. "That I see a future of her and I with two point five children? Blair Waldorf would laugh in my face."

"Maybe." Chuck said, "but maybe not. Blair Waldorf is full of surprises."

"Dan," Nate added, "no one would be surprised to find out that you have feelings for Blair. I think you two are the last to know. You have to tell her though."

"She can't even look at me. I can't push her further away. I need her."

"You never know, it might pull her closer." Nate said.

"Or, it could push her further away." Dan repeated.

"Fine," Chuck said standing up. "Don't tell her. In ten years when you see her with another man and those two and a half children, you're always going to wonder, could that have been me?"

Dan groaned as he thought about what Chuck had said.

"I've got a meeting soon." Chuck said as he grabbed his suit jacket. "Think about what I said Daniel. I'll see you in a few Nathaniel." Chuck said as he closed the door to Dan's apartment before either of them could say anything. Chuck walked down the hallway and pressed the up button on the elevator.

* * *

Chuck walked into Blair's penthouse to find her too laying on the couch staring at the ceiling.

"I thought you had lunch with your mom." Chuck called out startling Blair.

Blair looked at Chuck and sighed. "He told you didn't he?"

Chuck sat down on the loveseat opposite her. "He thinks his world is imploding. What's going on?" he asked her.

"I thought he told you." Blair said glaring at him.

"I heard his side of the story. What's yours?" Chuck asked.

"Nothing. It was just a mistake." Blair said as a tear slipped from eyes.

Chuck watched her for a moment. "I've never seen you cry over a mistake."

"I don't know how to fix it." She said as she grabbed a tissue to wipe away her tears. "He's my best friend. The one person that has always been there for me, and I can't even face him right now."

"Why not?" Chuck asked as he watched Blair fall apart as well.

"I'm so embarrassed, I don't know what's going on. Where do we go from here?" she asked.

"Step one." Chuck said standing up. "Talk to him. Everything after that can be figured out." Chuck added giving Blair a small smile as he began to leave.

* * *

Blair held the small key in her hand as she stared at the door to his apartment. Should she knock or use the key that he had given her when he moved in. "In case of emergencies." He had said. Did this qualify as an emergency?

When she finally decided to use the key as opposed to knocking the door swung open.

"Blair…" Nate said when he saw her. "I was just leaving."

"Is he here?" Blair asked.

"He's in his room. Just went down to get some sleep." Nate said as he held the door open for her.

Blair nodded as Nate walked out of the door. Blair locked it behind him as she made her way to Dan's room. She watched from the doorway as Dan sat on the edge with his head between his hands.

"Hey," Blair smiled as she took off her shoes and made her way to his bed and climbed under the covers.

Dan gave her a confused look, but took it as a good sign that she was at least speaking to him as he too began to climb under the covers.

They lay in Dan's bed face to face and neither of them wanted to speak first. Dan slowly reached over to her face and brushed the hair that was there behind her ear. Blair hitched her breath surprised to find the same feeling she had felt last night.

"Blair," Dan sighed as he looked at her wanting unbearably to kiss her. "We can either talk this out and decided there's more here, or we can talk this out and decided there's nothing here. What we can't do is decide to avoid it and pretend like nothing happened."

"I think plan C's the easiest way to go though." Blair said as she grabbed a hold of Dan's hand and intertwined his fingers with hers so that she wouldn't lose the feeling.

Dan watched her movement and decided that maybe Chuck was right maybe he just had to tell her. "Easiest? Yes." Dan smiled as he pulled Blair closer, "But I don't think it's the right choice."

"You don't?" Blair asked as she saw something that she hadn't seen before in his eyes.

"No," he smiled as Blair wrapped her arms around his neck. "Maybe it's time that you and I go for it."

"Go for what?" Blair asked even though she had an idea where he was going.

"I just," Dan said as rolled onto his back and pulled her on top of him. "I just can't imagine some other guy getting the three children."

Blair's eyes grew wide "What?"

"Hypothetically speaking of course." Dan smiled as he rubbed her back underneath her shirt.

"What exactly are you trying to say Humphrey?" Blair asked as she began to undo the buttons on her shirt.

Dan watched her for a few moments before he brushed her hands aside and started to help her. "You and I, Blair and Dan, Dan and Blair. You know, more than just friends." He smiled as she helped him get her shirt off.

"I like the sound of that." Blair smiled as Dan pulled aside her bra and his hands softly caressed her breasts.

Dan moaned as he felt himself get harder under her. Blair began to unbutton his pants and pulled them and his boxers away from him so he was lying beneath her fully nude with only her skirt and panties separating them. She stood up pulling the rest of her garments off before slowly lowering herself onto him.

Dan allowed a soft moan to escape from his lips as he softly rubbed Blair's hip in the spot that he remembered had driven her wild the night before.

Blair moaned, "Oh Dan," as she felt the sensation of his hand on her hip softly caressing her.

Dan loving the sound of his name on her lips pulled her towards him and attacked her lips with his as he began to thrust harder into her.

"I'm so close," Blair moaned as she straightened her back and sat up.

Dan watched her as she leaned back. He allowed his eyes to travel downwards as he saw her perfect breasts bouncing. He leaned forward as he grabbed her right nipple between his lips and worked the left one with his hand. Blair reached her first climax when he moved to caress her hip with his right hand.

"Oh Dan!" she screamed out as she felt her release. Dan fell back onto the bed as he allowed Blair to gain control again as she rode out her first orgasm. The look of pleasure on Blair's face made Dan realize how real his feelings for her were.

When Blair had begun to ride him again Dan drifted his eyes lower until he saw the area where their bodies met. He watched as he entered and exited her body and he couldn't take it any longer. "Oh Blair," Dan softly sighed as he erupted beneath her. Feeling Dan's warmth only caused Blair to ride harder and Dan allowed his thumb to explore her clit.

"Oh my God Dan," Blair screamed as Dan continued to softly rub her as she rode out her second climax. She collapsed on top of him exhausted from the activities.

Dan softly pushed Blair's sweaty hair away from her forehead and softly kissed her there.

"You were amazing." Blair said as she cuddled into him.

"Me?" Dan asked as he held her close to his chest. "That was all you."

"No, that was you." Blair smiled as she reached up and softly kissed his lips. "What do you want for dinner tonight?" she asked reminding him about the previous night's bet.

"You." He said as he kissed her and softly rolled her onto her back.

* * *

**A/N: let me know what you think of this chapter? A little too smut...ty? LOL Thanks to those of you reading this and especially those of you have have favorited and signed up for alerts. And of course I have to thank those of you that have taken the time to review. Much appreciated. :D**


	6. Coming Out

**A/N My spring quarter is FINALLY over. So I'll have way more time to write and read Dair fanfic before the show comes back. Is this hiatus killing everyone else too?

* * *

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**Coming out**

Dan woke up the following morning to find Blair not in his bed. Dan rolled over as the déjà vu hit him.

Blair came walking in with two cups of coffee and pastries from the corner bakery. "Hey" she smiled as she set down the food.

After she put the food down Dan took hold of her hand and pulled her down on top of him and wrapped his arms around her.

"You are officially no longer allowed to leave the bed before I wake up." Dan smiled. "I was worried about you." He said as he softly kissed her.

Blair pulled away and laughed softly, "I owe you breakfast, lunch, and dinner served to you by me for one week straight." She reminded him.

"I can do without that." He murmured before his lips travelled to her neck.

"Dan, as much as I'd love to stay in bed with you all morning and do this," she sighed as he began to unbutton her shirt, "we really do need to get to the office."

"They can do without us." He smiled as he continued to unbutton.

"Some days," she smiled as she made the move to stand, "but we have a ten a.m. meeting and personally, I'd rather not have to postpone anymore."

Dan sighed as he lied back down on the bed knowing that Blair was right.

* * *

"Will you stop doing that?" Blair whispered to Dan.

"You realize that these are soundproof walls right?" Dan asked as he continued to play with Blair's hand while she was trying to read through another article. They had already finished their meetings for the day.

"They're glass walls though and no one needs to witness me throw you onto my desk and have my way with you." She smiled as he immediately dropped her hand and quickly sat back down behind his desk.

"What do you think about setting up a shoot for a collaboration between your mom and Jenny?" Dan asked as he skimmed through different designers. "They're so uninspired." He said throwing down the photos.

"That didn't work out so well the first time." Blair laughed remembering the days when they were in high school. She walked over to Dan's desk and sat on it glancing at the photos.

Dan watched as she sultrily crossed her legs in front of him. He resisted the urge to reach out and touch them. "I'm beginning to think that we need separate offices."

Blair smiled as she realized how she was affecting him. "Or," she whispered leaning unbelievably close to him, "we could just get real walls."

Dan gulped as he immediately stood up and grabbed his suit jacket and keys. "Lunch break." He said as he ushered her out the door.

* * *

Dan had barely made it into the elevator before he had his lips on Blair's. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist when they finally reached her penthouse. Dan backed her up onto a wall in her apartment.

"Ahem," Dan and Blair pulled apart slowly when they heard Chuck clear his throat.

Blair immediately grew embarrassed and put her legs down as she tried to straighten her skirt.

"So I take it things went well?" Chuck smiled.

"I guess you could say that." Blair said avoiding eye contact. "Wait, why are you even here?"

"Well, Daniel wasn't answering his phone and Samantha said you went to lunch together. Naturally, that meant here."

"Naturally." Blair rolled her eyes at him.

"Well, you do have quite the sex drive." Chuck grinned.

Dan laughed knowing Chuck was trying to get a rise out of her, "Okay, Bass you're my boy and everything, but I think I might have to give you a black eye."

Chuck laughed, "No I'm good. I'm only here because Rufus and Lily invited us to lunch at their place. Blair's invited too."

"You think it's too soon?" Blair asked looking at Dan.

"Seriously," Chuck cut in, "it's not a date. Dan brings you everywhere. You're like his favorite accessory. They won't think anything of it."

"Will you just punch him?" Blair asked Dan seriously. "I'm not an accessory, I'm the main piece."

"Bass," Dan said as he straightened his suit. "I had great plans for lunch. It's just like you to ruin them. Let's get this over with." He then grabbed Blair's hand as they made their way out of her place.

* * *

"You know, if you try too hard they're going to know what's going on." Chuck said in the elevator with Dan and Blair. "You guys haven't avoided physical contact in years and that was only because Blair thought she would get rabies."

"I've got a bad feeling about this." Blair turned towards Dan ignoring Chuck. "Maybe I should sit this one out."

"Too late Waldorf, plus it would just be strange if you weren't here. All you have to do is pretend like you guys don't want to have sex on the table and you'll be fine." Chuck smiled as they glared at him. He was going to have fun with this game.

"I officially hate you Chuck." Dan muttered as he remembered his original lunch plans.

When the elevator reached their destination, Rufus and Lily had lunch ready for them.

"Great, we're just waiting for Nate, Jenny and Eric." Lily smiled as she took a sip of water from the sofa.

Dan took his suit jacket off before helping Blair with hers, "What's the occasion?" he asked taking a seat next to Blair on the loveseat.

"We know that it's a burden for all of you to make time for Serena's problems, so we wanted to make it up to you." Rufus said as he joined them in the living room.

"With lunch?" Dan asked. "I mean, I appreciate the gesture, but you guys couldn't even spring for dinner?"

Chuck and Blair tried not to laugh as they heard what Dan had said.

"We're going to discuss it over lunch, it's not the lunch." Rufus laughed.

"Okay, just making sure because the deli downstairs in our office building is amazing. I'm not sure you could compete." Dan smiled.

They heard the sound of the elevator arriving to the floor and immediately Jenny ran into the room and ran straight towards Blair and Dan and hugged them at the same time.

"Oh my gosh congratulations!" Jenny grinned.

Dan looked at Chuck panicked and Chuck glared at Nate.

"For what?" Rufus asked intrigued.

"Blair and Dan are together. Like 'dating' together." She smiled not realizing that Rufus and Lily did not know.

"Seriously Bass?" Blair glared.

"Nathaniel!" Chuck yelled.

"You texted me in the elevator. I didn't know the text was top secret." Nate shrugged.

"Wait what?" Rufus asked as he looked from Blair to Dan. "You two?"

Blair looked at Dan wanting him to take this one.

"Yes." Dan finally admitted.

"Well that took long enough." Lily smiled. "I do believe that Eric won the pool."

"What?" Blair asked confused.

"We've had a running bet for the last six months on when the two of you would get together." Rufus added handing Eric twenty dollars.

"I knew it'd take a while." Eric grinned as he gathered his cash.

"I just said that you two were too blind to see it, so I said it would never happen." Jenny smiled as she gave Eric his money. "I'm actually glad I lost this one though."

"Wow," Dan said as he looked at them. "You people need help."

"Details." Lily smiled. "How'd it happen?"

"No details necessary." Blair smiled as she put her hand over Dan's mouth to keep him from speaking, but glad she could touch him again.

Dan took Blair's hand away from his mouth and intertwined his fingers with hers as they all smiled at them.

"So let me get this straight," Dan said as he turned towards Chuck, "you kept this secret pool from me for six months, but you can't even wait until Nate gets here to tell him? I see where your loyalty lies."

"I told him that you two were together. Not that I nearly caught you two having sex on the wall in Blair's foyer." Chuck said and immediately closed his mouth as he realized what he had said.

"I'm hungry." Dan said turning to Blair quickly. "You hungry?"

"Starving." Blair responded as they quickly made their way to the table and heard the living room behind them erupt in laughter.


	7. Family Dinner

**Thank you guys for the warm reviews, especially the ones regarding my Chuck character. I just thought that not hating Chuck would be a nice change of pace, so I decided to make him a good guy. I'm glad you guys like it so far and I really appreciate all of you who have taken the time to review. I've got a general outline for where I think this story's headed, but I'm very open, so if any of you have ideas please let me know. :D

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**Family Dinner**

Blair and Dan arrived hand in hand at The Empire for dinner running half an hour late. They walked in to see Chuck, Nate, Jenny and Eric were already there.

"And where were you two?" Chuck smiled as the two of them walked in.

"At the office." Dan lied glaring at Chuck.

"I call bullshit." Nate laughed. "They have glass walls." He pointed out.

"Seriously Archibald," Blair said taking the seat the Dan pulled out for her at the table. "Can't we go one conversation without you guys insinuating that all we do is have sex?"

"I've seen it with my own two eyes, I know all you guys do is have sex." Nate laughed remembering how he had walked in on them two minutes away from ripping each other's clothes off in Blair's living room.

"Don't you people know how to call ahead of time?" Dan asked, "I'm beginning to think the doorman needs to find more suitable employment." He said to Blair.

"They have bedrooms for a reason." Nate said. "It really shouldn't be that hard for you guys to find one."

"Seriously, I can't even sit on a couch anymore without worrying I'm going to find something wet." Chuck pretended to be disgusted.

"Please," Dan laughed. "Remember the time when I sat on your couch and actually did sit on something wet. Then, there was the time when I saw an unwrapped condom under the coffee table. Seriously how did it get there?"

"You're such an amateur Humphrey. Looks like you have a few things to learn." Chuck laughed.

"Can we change the subject please?" Jenny asked disgusted by the conversation.

"Yes, please." Blair smiled as she took Dan's hand underneath the table.

"I thought my dad and Lily were coming." Dan said as he intertwined his fingers with Blair's.

"They're running even later than you guys were. Lord knows what those two are doing." Chuck laughed as everyone else at the table besides Nate groaned.

"What? Lily's hot!" Nate grinned.

"You would think so. You've always been into cougars." Blair laughed.

"I dated you for years." Nate reminded her.

"I've always been beyond my years and more mature than you." Blair smiled.

"I think I've always been more mature than you." Jenny laughed at Nate. "And I've done some crazy shit in my life."

"I never tried to kill anyone." Nate said looking at Jenny reminding her of when she befriended Juliet.

"I never dated the girl that thought of it." Jenny responded knowing that she was at a bad place during those times and had gotten her act together. "Plus, it wasn't me who tried to kill her. I was tricked into it."

"Yeah," Nate nodded then smiled. "Juliet was hot too."

"She was." Chuck agreed. "Too bad she was insane."

"You're one to talk," Dan laughed. "I don't think you've had a sane girlfriend in the last two years."

"I haven't had a girlfriend in the last two years." Chuck reminded him. "One night stands aren't girlfriends."

"Except when they don't know that they're one night stands." Dan argued. "I used to get a call once a week from a different girl yelling at me because I didn't call her back." Dan said telling the rest of the table.

"I knew you'd break up with them with more class." Chuck smiled as he remembered how he would always give them Dan's number instead of his own.

"I'm pretty sure you could've done better than, 'who the hell are you?'" Dan said.

"Nope, that sounds exactly like what he would've said." Eric said as they all laughed.

"It's so funny," Jenny said as the table's laughter began to die down. "If someone would've told us like seven years ago that the six of us would be here, all together as friends hanging out, how crazy would we have thought they were?"

"Could you imagine telling Constance senior, Blair Waldorf, that she'd be dating Dan Humphrey?" Nate asked.

"I would've murdered you." Blair laughed remembering the times.

"Or who could've imagined that Dan Humphrey and I would ever be friends?" Chuck asked also laughing.

"Why is everything about me?" Dan asked. "I all of a sudden feel out of place."

"Jenny always wanted to be one of us. You always thought you were better than us." Blair said. "How would eighteen year old Humphrey feel about dating Blair Waldorf and living on the Upper East Side in seven years?"

"Point taken." Dan smiled as he put his arm around her and hugged her while he kissed her on the side of her forehead.

"I think only Eric and I could imagine being friends with all of you." Nate realized.

"Yeah, but even I would've thought Dan and Blair together and Dan and Chuck as friends would be insane." Eric added.

"I would've been too stoned to care." Nate laughed. "I still am actually."

"How nice it must be to be you Archibald." Dan joked. "I can't even get a day off. You get all of them off."

"I work!" Nate laughed. He was the only one of them that actually expected to live off of trust funds and family money.

"Doing what?" Everyone else at the table asked and then started laughing.

"Fine," Nate smiled, "I wouldn't be entirely against it though."

"Who would've thought that out of all of us, Dan Humphrey would make the biggest rise?" Blair asked.

"What?" Chuck asked incredulously. "I'm Chuck Bass."

"Doesn't mean what it used to." Blair said shaking her head and rolling her eyes in a joking manner.

"I run a billion dollar empire. I own a five star hotel in Manhattan and I'm about to purchase a hotel in the largest city in the world." Chuck reminded them. "Does this mean nothing to you people?" he laughed.

"Dan had to climb a lot further than the rest of us though." Eric reminded Chuck.

"Brooklyn's right outside the city." Chuck said. "It's not like he came from Jersey."

"Sure," Dan laughed, "you feel that way now."

Blair laughed as she wrapped her arms around Dan's neck and kissed his cheek.

"Are you guys going to tell her?" Jenny asked remembering why they had gathered in the first place, to talk about the Serena's intervention the following day.

"I hadn't really thought about it." Blair frowned as she pulled away.

Dan sighed as he pulled Blair's chair closer to his and put his arm around her so she would lean into him. "I don't know. I mean, we're not hiding our relationship, but I feel like this is our last chance to reach out to her, and I don't want to give her any reason to run."

"As much as it sucks," Eric said, "I think maybe you should wait until she's recovered to tell her."

"I doubt she'll be shocked," Blair added, "but I agree."

"On what?" Rufus asked as he and Lily walked in and joined their table.

"I think we just decided not to tell Serena about us tomorrow." Dan said looking at Blair and making sure she was okay with that.

"It could only make things worse." Blair frowned. "And I don't want to see worse."

"That's very mature of you guys." Lily smiled.

"I agree." Rufus said to his son. "I still can't believe my son is dating Blair Waldorf."

"We were just talking about that Dad. Could you imagine having told Dan in high school that he'd end up dating Blair?" Jenny laughed.

"No, I'm pretty sure he'd never talk to me again." Rufus said laughing with her.

"Which by the way." Dan saidd. "They all think I've risen more than Chuck Bass. I have officially beat Chuck Bass." He said teasing Chuck.

"Wow Humphrey, you set your goals way too high." Chuck said.

"But I won." Dan grinned.

"I'm proud of all of you." Lily smiled at them all, "I just wish my daughter would get her act together and see that this is what her life could be like. Even if she ended up like you Nate."

"I do stuff!" Nate said as they all started laughing again.

"Video games don't count." Jenny said.

"You're harsh Little Humphrey." Nate laughed.

"At least everyone here enjoys what they do. I wake up dreading going in every day that I have to." Eric said.

"Which is what once a month?" Dan asked.

Eric had graduated from Stanford two years earlier and was now one of the top commodity futures traders at Goldman Sachs, an extremely coveted position, which he got due to many strings being pulled by Lily. Typically Goldman Sachs wouldn't take anyone without an MBA, let alone one without experience or out of Stanford. It turned out he was actually very good at it.

"Twice a week." Eric laughed. "I do my job and I do it well." He shrugged.

"Could you imagine?" Blair smiled looking at Dan. "Only having to work twice a week? Our place would fall apart if we only worked twice a week. I can barely get anyone else to make coffee." She laughed.

"Looks like they have a job for you." Jenny smiled looking at Nate as everyone else laughed.

"Are we going to get some dinner?" Dan asked as they calmed. "I'm kind of starving."

"Yeah, I'll have them bring some things out." Chuck said standing up as he made his way into the back.

"I really hope things work out tomorrow." Lily said when Chuck returned with many servers behind him placing food onto the table.

"I actually have a good feeling about it." Eric said as they began to eat.

"Me too actually." Dan said. "If we're all there tomorrow and she doesn't see that she could be a part of this." Dan gestured to their group. "Then it'd be her loss."

Chuck smiled as he watched Blair feed Dan some food off of her plate. "For once Humphrey, you're so right." He said looking at his family and appreciating how good it felt to be a part of it.


	8. Serena's Intervention

**A/N: Sorry about the long wait! Life got in the way. :( I will admit, this is not my finest work and I did deal with a bit of a block. Love it? Hate it? Let me know.**

* * *

**Serena's Intervention**

The group sat around in a circle in Lily's apartment with Dr. Shields, the head of the drug recovery department at the Ostroff Center.

"Are there any last minute questions?" Dr. Shields asked.

"What happens if she refuses to go?" Lily asked.

"You're going to have to cut her funds and she'll see how far she can get. We can also contact the local authorities." Dr. Shields answered.

"Does it really have to go that far? I don't want my daughter to go to prison." Lily said as the tears attacked her again. Dr. Shields had been there for the past hour going over some last minute information.

"Our goal tonight is for your daughter to come with me and get better. If she refuses that option, then we have to show her what this life is like, without the privilege of being the child of wealthy parents. There are people just like her, that don't have families that can afford to send her to a place like ours, a place where she has support. Those people turn to the streets and more often than not, do end up in prison or even worse dead. We all want what's best for her though, which is to get better." The doctor told the family.

"When should she be here?" Rufus asked glancing at his watch.

"Shortly." Lily responded.

"How do we know for sure that she's coming?" Jenny asked.

"I offered one of her friends money to guarantee her arrival." Lily responded nervously.

"Does everyone have their notes ready for her?" Dr. Shields asked. They all raised papers with handwritten notes that they had written for Serena. "We'll save Lily for last and Eric right before her. We'll begin with Rufus and work our way around." He smiled as they heard the elevator ding.

"I can't believe my mom's going to give you $25,000 just for me to come to dinner!" Serena said excited as she spoke to her friend Nikki as they made their way out of the elevator. "What the hell is this?" Serena asked as she saw the group.

"We just want to talk." Eric said as he patted the empty seat next to him.

"C'mon Nikki, we're leaving." Serena said angrily as she pressed the button for the elevator.

"If you leave, Nikki's not getting the money." Lily stood up, "And I've put a freeze on all of your accounts. As of right now, you are broke." She said holding up a stack of hundred dollar bills. "Unless of course, you sit down and hear what we have to say."

Nikki looked at Serena and whispered in her ear, "You should stay think of all we could do with that kind of cash. Just let them do their thing, it'll be like an hour and you'll be home in no time." She reasoned.

Serena thought about it before slowly nodding her head. "Don't spend more than a thousand before I get there!" she said as Nikki took the money from Lily and headed down the elevator. She turned towards the group and made her way towards them, "I'm here, what do you want from me?"

"Hi Serena, I'm Dr. Shields from the Ostroff Center." He said standing up to shake her hand and guide her to her seat. After they both were able to get comfortable in their seats the doctor turned towards Serena. "Do you know why I'm here today?"

"I'm going to go ahead and take a wild guess and say that it's because my mom doesn't know how to mind her own fucking business." Serena said glaring at Lily.

"I'm here today because everyone in this room loves you." Dr. Shields said ignoring what Serena had said. "Because they all want you to get better and they miss you.

"My number hasn't changed." Serena scoffed.

"But it seems that you have." The doctor countered. "Your friends and family have written some words for you that they would like to share. If we can," the doctor said looking at Serena to see if she would protest, when he didn't see her resist he added, "we'd like to begin with Rufus."

Rufus looked over at Serena and smiled as he opened his letter and began to read it. "Serena, even though I've only been in your life for a few years as your step-father, I feel like I've known you for much longer. I remember the days when Dan used to come home from school and talk about this blonde goddess that he was in love with." Rufus smiled as Serena glanced at Dan. "I remember the day that Dan came home from school because he finally scored a date with THE Serena Van der Woodsen. I shudder to even think about where my son would be if it weren't for you. Then your mother and I got together and it was like I got a new daughter, a girl that I have embraced as my daughter. When you chose to not go to Brown, I didn't agree, but I understood. It's not easy to enter the world alone. This though, the drugs, the life that you've chosen for yourself, I don't understand. I watch everyday as a little piece of your mother dies. We miss you Serena, the real you and we're hoping you'll go, so that you can come back to us." Rufus finished to a silent room as he watched Serena closely to see if what he had said registered to her. When he saw a small thankful smile on Serena's face, he returned it.

"Jenny if you'll go next," Dr. Shields said, as she was sitting next to her dad.

Jenny who had allowed a few tears to escape during her father's speech, slowly opened her letter and began reading it. "Dear Serena, my sister, I miss you. You accepted me when you didn't even know me and even though we haven't gotten along the best throughout the years, you're still the only sister that I've ever had and I want a sister. I want a sister that I can have lunch with and call when my life isn't going perfectly and when it is going perfectly. I want to be here for you like you were there for me so many times in the past when I needed you. So please Serena, please get better, because I want my sister back." Jenny looked up and saw Serena wipe away a tear that had escaped her eyes. Jenny turned towards Nate and nodded him on.

"Serena," Nate began, "as you know, I'm not as articulate as anyone in this room, except for maybe Chuck," Nate joked hoping to relieve a little bit of the tension in the room. When he saw Serena let out a small laugh he continued. "There was a time years ago, when my entire world revolved around yours. You had an aura around you. It was like you were untouchable, this creature that was sent to make those around you glow. That aura has since disappeared, but only because you have. I don't see this warm bubbly girl anymore. I see a shell that she used to be in. I'd give anything to have that girl back. Please go with him to the Ostroff Center to get better, because I still hold hope that that girl will come back." He smiled at Serena.

Chuck looked over at Serena and began to feel uncomfortable, because it now was his turn. "I've never been good at expressing my feelings, but sis," he said as he looked down to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of opening up to her, "I miss you. We hadn't had the best relationship before. I've made some horrible mistakes in my past, things that some people would say are unforgivable." He frowned as he remembered the person he once was. "As that person who's done things to hurt every single person in this room," Chuck said finally looking back at Serena, "I'd do anything to take them back. This family though, the one that we're all so privileged to be a part of consists of huge hearts that love you. We miss you and we need you back." Chuck said as he stood up and excused himself to the restroom.

Serena stared at the spot that Chuck had just sat and Dan recognized the look of recognition in her face. Dan decided to put away his paper and just speak his mind. "Serena, you know we all love you. You know that all we want is what's best for you. We want you to get better for you though. Yes we miss you and yes we'd all love having you around more," Dan said as he watched Chuck retake his seat, "but I want you to have a life full of joy and happiness where you realize that your accomplishments give you a much better high than any drug could ever get you. I want you to see the world for the first time as a full fledge adult and see what it's like out there. I want you to get that feeling that we've all been lucky enough to feel. I want that for you, because I still remember when you wanted that for yourself. Do this for you." He smiled at her, "because I've always envisioned big things for you Serena, and I still do."

"Leave it to the writer to decide to go impromptu and still sound ten times better than what I have written down." Blair smiled as she saw Serena let out a small giggle. "S, I've always wanted what's best for you. You know that. You're my best friend, like a sister that I've never had." Blair looked down as she tried to push away the guilt of how Serena would react to her dating Dan. "I still remember the days when we used to have sleepovers and go through our mom's closet and we'd dress up and pretend that we were grown up. You always said that you were going to be a business woman married to a Prince." Blair smiled as Serena laughed. "You said that way you could wear dress suits during the day and beautiful gowns to balls at night. You had your very own fairy tale. This is a chance at your happily ever after. Please go Serena, I'm pretty sure your Prince is getting sick of waiting." Blair smiled as she let her tears slip down her face.

"Serena," Dr. Shields said shaking her out of her thoughts. "Is there anything you'd like to say before you hear what Eric and Lily have to say?"

Serena sat quietly staring at the floor before she spoke. "I had no idea that you all felt this way. I haven't talked to so many of you in years. I thought every single one of you turned your backs on me. It was lonely out there on my own. Every one was too busy to hear my cry for help. Dan and Blair were working. Chuck and my mom were doing business. Nate and Eric were on the other side of the country. Yet, I'm the bad guy? This isn't fair."

"No one's blaming you Serena." Dan said thinking that this was beginning to head into dangerous territory.

"You stole my best friend!" Serena shouted. "There are ten million people in this fucking city and you chose her!"

"That had nothing to do with you." Blair said confused as everyone stared at Serena shocked.

"Exactly, you didn't care about me then, so please stop pretending to now." Serena said as she stood up and grabbed her purse and made her way towards the elevator. She was about to press the call button when she heard the quiet sound of her little brother's voice.

"Please don't go." Eric begged. "Please don't leave." Serena turned towards him but didn't make her way back to the circle. Instead, Eric stood and went over to where she was. "Those are the exact words I said to you before you left for boarding school. I knew I couldn't do it on my own, but you still left. I'm begging you Serena please don't leave this time." Serena looked at Eric as tears spilled down his face as she grabbed his hand and slowly nodded. "I know you can make it through this just like you knew I could too back then. I promise, that just like you were for me, I will be there every single day. I want you back Serena. It used to be us against the world. Now I'm alone. Please get better. Please go to The Ostroff Center and get the help that you need, because I need you to get better." He finished off as Serena hugged him.

"I'm so sorry Eric," she cried. "I'm so sorry."

Lily stood up and made her way over to them near the elevator. "Serena, I love you. I love you so much. I think of everything I've done wrong all of the times I've failed as a mother. I'd do everything I could to protect you from this. I'd give up everything I have just to get my daughter back." Lily cried. "Please, will you come back to me?"

Serena looked to both her mom and brother and with tears in her eyes slowly nodded her head. "I'll go." She finally said.

Everyone else watched on as they saw a small family enter the beginning stages of being rebuilt.

* * *

It had been a quiet cab ride back to Blair's apartment where Dan sat on her bed with a loosened tie as he watched Blair quietly get ready for bed. Dan felt his phone vibrate and pulled it out to read his text as Blair sat on her side of the bed.

"It's my dad. They just dropped her off." He said as he put his phone back into his pocket and began getting undressed for bed.

Blair nodded, but didn't speak as she got back under the covers.

Serena had reluctantly hugged both of them before she left and while Blair was glad her best friend was on her path to recovery, she felt that it was going to be a while until she actually did get her best friend back.

"You want to talk about it?" Dan asked and joined her underneath the covers.

"What?" Blair asked having been shaken from her thoughts.

"I know what you're thinking." Dan said as he pulled her close to him so she was lying on his chest.

"It's just," Blair began to trail off trying to decide how to say what was on her mind.

"Eventually, she's going to find out about us." Dan finished her sentence.

"Well, yes." Blair said deep in thought, "how are we going to handle that?" she asked.

"We'll handle it when it happens." Dan said kissing her forehead.

"Really?" she asked mildly amused, "that's your best answer?"

"Blair, tonight was about her getting better. That's the only reason she doesn't know right now." Dan responded.

"It's just," Blair sighed "this might end up being too much for her."

"I'm not going to hide my relationship from her." He said. "I respect what you and I have too much to do that. I'm here, with you, because it's the only place that I want to be."

Blair smiled up at Dan and shook her head. "I was just worried that's all. I really don't want to lose you." She admitted.

Dan smiled down at her and kissed her. "I told you once before Blair and it's still true. I'd still choose you over her."


	9. Love

**Love**

**A month later**

Dan woke up to a throbbing head. "Ugh…" he groaned as he tried to sit up in bed.

Blair walked out of the bathroom just in time to see him flop back onto the bed. "Humphrey, are you okay?" she asked looking at him concerned.

"I'm fine," he said as he attempted to sit up again, "just have to get ready for work." He said, but when he sat up the world began spinning around him and he immediately reconnected his head to the pillow. "I feel like shit." He groaned.

Blair went over to his side and softly touched his face. "You're burning up Humphrey. I'm going to grab some pills and water. Don't move." She said leaving him momentarily.

"I couldn't even if I wanted to." He said as he squeezed his eyes shut hoping to calm the nauseous feeling.

Blair walked back in with a glass of water and some pills. "Here," she said trying to hand him everything, "take these."

"Please don't make me!" he said rolling over so he would be face down on the mattress.

"Really Humphrey?" she groaned putting the pills and water down on the nightstand before softly trying to get Humphrey to roll over.

"I don't want to!" he screamed into the pillow.

"Dear God, I forgot how much of a drama queen you are when you're sick." She said.

"I don't like medication, I'm tough enough to sit through the pain." He said.

"The pills are really small." Blair promised.

Dan rolled over slightly to look at her. "How small?" he asked.

"Look," she said holding up one of the pills, "it's tiny."

"Fine," Dan finally gave in, "but only because you insist." He said sitting up slightly and opening his mouth for Blair to feed him the pills and help him with the water.

After he took the pills Blair grabbed Dan's phone off of the side table and dialed the magazine.

"Samantha, we won't be coming into the office today Humphrey's not feeling well. Have all urgent calls forwarded to my phone and drop off anything that needs to be finalized today at my place." She said into the phone before she hung up.

"You didn't have to do that." Dan said as he rolled back over onto his stomach. "I can make it."

"You're not going anywhere Humphrey. I have lunch with my mom and your sister and I'll have Nate and Chuck come by to keep you company until I get back." She said as she rubbed his back soothingly and sent a text out to Chuck and Nate.

"What're you going to do all day?" Dan asked.

"Take care of you." She laughed. "Every time you're sick I imagine that's what it feels like to have a child. It's great birth control. Which is really interesting because I'm sleeping with you."

"HA HA." He laughed sarcastically. "You're no better. Especially when you scream 'I'm going to die!' over cramps."

"Hey!" she jokingly scolded. "They hurt."

"I think you exaggerate a little though. They can't hurt that bad." He said as he rolled over onto her side of the bed giving her room to sit.

"No uterus, no opinion." She laughed as she got into bed with him. He tried to pull her closer and she stopped him, "I don't want to get sick." She groaned.

"Please?" he begged as she stopped fighting and allowed him to rest his head on her chest.

"If I get sick you're returning the favor." Blair said as she ran her hand through his hair. "Seems like you're already starting to cool down though."

"That's probably because of your icy temperature." He joked.

"I'm laying here nursing you back to health and that's how you show your appreciation?" she laughed.

Dan smiled, "I love you." He said as he have her a kiss on her chest and began to fall asleep.

Blair looked down at him surprised as she saw he was asleep with a small smile on his face.

* * *

Blair woke up as she heard her phone ring. She reached over to answer it. "Hello?" she yawned into the phone.

"Where the hell are you guys?" Chuck asked into the phone.

"Sleeping." Blair replied. "I'll be down in a second." She said as she got out of bed heading downstairs leaving Dan peacefully asleep.

"Hey," Blair yawned as she walked into her living room and sat on a chair facing Nate and Chuck.

"Where is he?" Nate asked looking at his watch.

"Sleeping. He's pretty sick." Blair said trailing off.

"Spill." Chuck said interested.

"What?" she asked confused.

"I know that look. Something's going on." He said.

"It's nothing." She said avoiding eye contact.

"It's definitely something." Nate said when he saw her avoiding. "We're just going to ask Dan when he wakes up."

"She's squirming, I'm going to go wake him up." Chuck stood about to head upstairs.

"Okay! I'll tell you." She breathed. "Before he went back to sleep, he told me he loved me."

"And then?" Nate asked.

"What do you mean and then?" Blair asked.

"He told you he loved you and then asked you to marry him?" Chuck asked.

"No, he told me he loved me." She said confused as to why they were acting like this.

"And this is a big deal because?" Nate asked confused.

"Because it was the first time he said it and he was slightly unconscious!" she complained.

"It was the first time he said it?" Chuck asked surprised.

"Yes! Now I don't know if he said it because he meant it or because he was on pills." Blair said.

"Seriously?" Chuck asked. "You know he loves you. We all know he loves you."

"Loves how though? Loves me the same way he has for the last few years or loves me more?" she asked. "It's so confusing."

"He loves you enough to bone you every night." Nate said laughing.

"Seriously Archibald? I'm at a crossroads in life and you're making jokes?" she asked.

"Blair, we had no idea that that was the first time he told you he loved you. He tells us every time we're with him." Nate smiled.

"Maybe it's because he's never told you." Chuck said thinking about it. "It was starting to get annoying." He laughed.

"What?" she asked surprised.

"It's always 'I love her so much' every time we bring you up." Chuck said.

"We actually avoid talking about you so we don't have to hear that crap." Nate laughed.

"You can't possibly be surprised by it." Chuck said concerned.

"We just haven't talked about it." Blair said.

"But you love him too right?" Nate asked.

Blair was about to answer when Dan made his way downstairs.

"What's going on guys?" Dan asked as he sat down next to Blair and put his head in her lap.

"They're just going to keep you company while I go meet with my mom and your sister." Blair said feeling his head. "How're you feeling?" she asked him.

"Better." He yawned.

"Okay," she said sitting him up so that she could slip from under him. "I'm going to head out I'll be back in a couple of hours. Call me if you need anything?" she called over her shoulder as she grabbed her bag and made her way into the elevator.

"Why are you guys looking at me like that?" Dan asked after Blair had left.

"We had to listen to you tell us how much you love Blair and you hadn't even told her yet?" Nate asked.

"What are you talking about?" Dan asked.

"Apparently you told her you love her right before you knocked out and now she's freaking out." Chuck told him.

Dan sat up alarmed. "Freaking out how? Freaking out like 'Oh my God, he shouldn't have said it" or freaking out like, 'Oh my God he loves me and I love him'?" he asked.

"Freaking out like 'Oh my God' you're both girls." Nate eyed him laughing.

Dan glared at Nate. "Well I'm freaking out now because I know she's freaked out."

"She's freaked out because you were barely conscious when you told her and now she doesn't know if you even meant it." Chuck said.

"That's ludicrous." Dan shook his head. "Of course I meant it. I mean, I love her."

"We know," Chuck mumbled, "believe me, we definitely know."

"She doesn't apparently." Dan sighed. "I just figured she knew how I felt about her."

"She does. Don't beat yourself up about it. Just talk to her." Nate said. "I know Blair Waldorf and I know when she's in love."

"Thanks." Dan said laying back down planning what he was going to say when Blair came home.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

Blair walked into the café that her mother had chosen for their meeting.

"Nice of you to finally join us." Her mother said as Blair took her seat. "Jenny and I have practically had the meeting without you."

"Sorry." Blair groaned knowing that while she was her mother, it was still a work meeting and Eleanor found tardiness to be extremely unprofessional. "Dan's sick." She said.

"Speaking of the male Humphrey." Eleanor smiled. "Were you planning on telling me that the two of you were an item?"

"Seriously Jenny, you couldn't wait until I got here?" Blair glared at the blonde.

"I didn't tell her." Jenny said holding up her hands.

"It's all over page six." Eleanor said pulling the paper out of her purse.

"What?" Blair asked grabbing the paper from her mom. "This is bad. This is very bad. Do they get The Post in rehab?" she turned to Jenny and asked.

"I'll call Eric." Jenny said pulling out her phone and calling him.

"What? Who's in rehab?" Eleanor asked confused.

"Serena. She doesn't know yet." Blair said as she read the article.

"Serena's in isolation." Jenny said hanging up her phone. "She has no access to gossip rags."

"Thank God." Blair exhaled.

"Clearly I need to be around more, I have no idea what's going on in my daughter's life." Eleanor said.

"Yes mom, Dan and I are dating and no, Serena doesn't know. Oh, and Dan told me for the first time today that he loves me right before he fell back asleep." Blair rambled off. "Anything else?" she asked.

Jenny and Eleanor just sat there staring at her.

"I'm so confused right now." Eleanor said looking at Jenny.

"It was the first time he said it?" Jenny asked Blair surprised.

"Yes, but apparently not to other people." Blair said as she realized that clearly Dan had told Jenny as well. "Who else has he told?" Blair asked.

"He told me when I called yesterday." Eleanor said. "I think he told Harold last night too."

"What? I thought you said you found out from Page six." Blair said to her mother.

"I did. Then I called your father and told him and then I called Dan to make sure that he was treating my daughter right." Eleanor said.

"So he knew that you knew?" Blair asked.

"Yes, but I told him I was going to give you a hard time about it today, so not to tell you that I knew." Eleanor smiled. "He really does love you though."

"He says it all the time." Jenny added. "He talks about you all the time. To me, to Eric, my dad, and Lily." She smiled.

"So he told everyone but me?" Blair asked.

"Can't blame him." Eleanor said as she watched her daughter. "I'm not sure your reaction is exactly what he's looking for."

"I just envisioned it'd be different." Blair said playing with her napkin.

"This is about Serena isn't it?" Jenny asked.

"Maybe…" Blair trailed off. "I just think maybe we're getting in too deep. Too deep for him to change his mind when she gets out."

"Blair," Jenny responded soothingly. "I think the Dan and Serena ship has sailed. He's with you because he loves you."

"Right now. He loves me right now because is druggie Serena. Who knows what'll happen when she's rehabbed Serena?" Blair asked.

"He'd still love you." Jenny answered.

"Maybe…" Blair trailed off again.

"Honey, the only way you're going to get assurance that you need is by speaking to him. He's the only one that can give you all the answer that you need." Eleanor said as her heart broke for her daughter.

* * *

Blair walked into her home after lunch surprised to find her place quiet.

"Dan?" she called out.

"In the room." He called back to her.

Blair made her way upstairs to find Dan lying on the bed looking over work.

"How was lunch?" Dan asked glancing up at her.

"Great. They've agreed to do the next issue and are going to collaborate for a fall line." She smiled taking a seat on the bed next to him. He immediately rolled over and put his head on her lap. "How are you feeling?" she asked. "You seem to be doing better."

"I feel fine. Must've just been a small bug." He said reaching up to run his hand through her hair.

"Good." She smiled leaning down to kiss him. "See what some tiny pills can do?" she asked laughing.

"Thank you." He murmured pulling her down for another kiss. "So…" he trailed off rolling off of her lap to sit up with her.

Blair sighed knowing what was coming next. "Of course they told you. They always do."

"I just thought we were on the same page. I thought you knew how I felt about you." He said taking her hand in his.

"I do…I just feel like maybe we're moving a little fast." She said looking away from him, but not letting go of his hand.

"Moving too fast for what?" he asked. "We've known each other for years. You know everything about me."

"I know, but Serena…" she said trying to pick her words carefully.

"Serena?" he asked interrupting. "What does she have to do with anything?"

"It's just, when she gets out she'll be that girl that you gave yourself to all those years ago. She'll be the blonde dream girl that you waited your entire life just to acknowledge your existence." She said sad staring at the carpet.

"I'm not that boy anymore and she's not my dream girl anymore." He said lifting her chin so she would look at him. "I've grown up and matured and there is no doubt in my mind that I am exactly where I want to be. I just can't believe it took me so long to realize it. You were right in front of me the entire time."

"You really mean that?" Blair asked with a small smile.

"Blair, how many times do I have to tell you? Given a choice, every time, I choose you." He said pulling her lips to his.

She smiled softly at him. "So, you talked to my parents?" she asked.

"They both called." He laughed remembering the conversation. "They both wanted to know why they weren't called immediately."

"Yeah, I heard about it all over lunch. My mom's now on speed dial for any other life changing moment." She laughed. "By the way have you seen this?" she asked pulling the newspaper out of her purse and handing it over to him. "Serena hasn't seen it."

Dan grabbed the paper and read the small article that accompanied a picture of them strolling down Park Ave. with smiles on their faces. "Stop worrying about Serena." He replied offhandedly. "She'll find out eventually and she won't have a choice whether or not to accept it. I love you Blair." He said looking at her as he consciously said the words for the first time to her.

"Good," she smiled taking the paper out of his hands and straddling his lap. "Because I love you too." She whispered before she attached her lips to his.


	10. Property

**A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews and subscriptions I've gotten despite not having updated. I kind of lost inspiration with Chuck being a douchebag and the writers sucking. LOL. However, things are going pretty swell for us Dair fans and I was going to just start writing something new, but from time to time I still get reviews and subscriptions so I decided to update this story. **

**So, it's been a while since I've written, so this is probably off, but I'm getting back into the gist of things. I promise you, this story will be completed.**

**Property**

"So where is Archibald?" Dan asked Chuck as he looked through the jewelry in Harry Winston's.

"Interview." Chuck replied looking at the necklaces.

"What?" Dan laughed. "I'd love to see his resume, 'Columbia University graduate'. Where's it at?"

"Some new magazine that's coming out. Something about lifestyle of New York City." Chuck shrugged.

"What?" Dan asked staring at Chuck.

"That's what he said. Apparently they're looking for a sports columnist." Chuck responded before calling the saleslady over to where he stood.

"Damn it, that's his interview?" Dan groaned. "That's our new project."

"What?" Chuck asked looking at Dan, "this is going to be hilarious. Dan Humphrey, Nate Archibald's boss."

"Why exactly is Nate looking for a job?" Dan asked as he looked over the necklace that the saleslady had pulled out for Chuck.

"Apparently you all made him feel like he wasn't doing anything with his life. Which was true, but you guys didn't have to be so cruel." Chuck smiled as he took the necklace from the saleslady's hands and examined it.

"That better not be for my girlfriend." Dan said when he saw it.

"Relax, I've got some Japanese business associates coming to town this weekend and one of them seems like she could really use some good American hospitality." Chuck said raising his eyebrows suggestively.

"And you're disgusting." Dan laughed as he made his way over to the bracelet area.

Chuck told the saleslady to wrap it up and handed her his card. "Okay, I'm all yours Humphrey, what are we doing here?" he asked.

"Blair's birthday present." Dan responded as he walked around the jewelry store looking at the various items.

Chuck walked up behind him and looked at the display case before him. "Big mistake," he said.

"What?" Dan asked looking up from the earrings.

"Stick with the necklaces and bracelets." Chuck said steering him towards the area.

"What are you talking about?" Dan asked looking at him strangely.

"Earring boxes look too much like ring boxes, so steer clear of them otherwise she may be answering a question that you're not asking." Chuck laughed. "So, what're your plans for her birthday?" he asked. "Laying low again I assume?"

"We go out. " Dan said, "but yeah, other than dinner at Lily's we're laying low."

"Well, I can offer you a suite at The Empire. Change things up a little." Chuck smirked. "Sex in the same bed every night can be so redundant."

"According to you sex with the same girl every night is redundant, so I'll take my chances." Dan laughed as he asked the jeweler to show him a pair of earrings. "What do you think?" Dan asked Chuck as he held up the diamond earrings.

"Seriously?" Chuck asked. "You have trouble spending $200 on dinner and you're going to buy her those?"

"Do you ever just answer the question I'm asking Bass?" Dan shook his head.

"The look great and sparkly!" Chuck answered with mock enthusiasm.

"I have a great set that matches these earrings if you'd like to take a look." The jeweler smiled.

"Sure," Dan said as he followed behind her.

"Here's the necklace, bracelet and ring." She said as she placed the items before him.

Dan slowly picked up the diamond solitaire ring as Chuck watched.

"Wow Humphrey," Chuck laughed shaking his head. "You're gonna ask her."

"What are you talking about?" Dan asked as he nodded to the jeweler that he'd take it.

"So who's the best man?" Chuck asked. "I know that Nate's the obvious choice, but let me just say in my defense-"

Dan interrupted him, "I'm not going to ask her."

"I saw the look, you're at least thinking about it." Chuck laughed. "Long gone is the boy from Brooklyn." Chuck said as he watched Dan hand over his credit card.

"Thinking about it and actually doing it are completely different things." Dan replied as he signed the receipt.

"But you bought the ring…"Chuck said.

"As a part of a set." Dan responded as they made their way out of the store. "I couldn't not buy the ring."

"It's an engagement ring and I saw the look in your eyes." Chuck smiled, "admit it Humphrey you're going to pop the question."

Dan shook his head as they got into their limo. "Seriously, why do I talk to you Bass?"

* * *

"So what's going on that's so urgent?" Blair asked as she sat down in a café with her cappuccino.

"I was just hoping you could do me a small favor." Jenny smiled as she took a sip from her own coffee.

"I already don't like the sound of this." Blair laughed.

"It's just, I've been commuting for so long, first from Hudson, and now from Brooklyn. I just was thinking about moving back into the city." Jenny said looking down at her drink.

"That sounds great." Blair smiled. "Did you want me to help you find something? I can do that."

"Actually, the thing is, since it would be my first time living in the city on my own pretty much, I was hoping that I could get into your guys' building so you know, I wouldn't really be alone." Jenny rambled.

"Okay," Blair said slightly confused. "I could look into it."

"I already called and it looks like your building is completely full." Jenny added. "Which is where the favor comes in."

"I can't really make anyone move out." Blair said.

"See, but Dan has an apartment that he's not even using and maybe you can convince him to let me use it and have him just move in with you." Jenny said so fast that Blair wasn't even sure if she had heard it correctly.

"You want me to ask Dan to move in with me so you can have his apartment?" Blair asked making sure she had heard correctly.

"Yes." Jenny said giving Blair a huge smile so she would know how much Jenny wanted this.

"You do realize he has two bedrooms right? I'm sure if you asked him he'd let you stay with him. He's hardly ever there anyway." Blair told her.

"I know. I was just hoping that I could kind of turn it into my own place since he's never there anyway." Jenny trailed off.

"I'll talk to him." Blair sighed seeing how much Jenny wanted this. "No promises though." Blair warned.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Jenny smiled. "So, what are your plans for your birthday?"

"Well we have the dinner with the families the night before, but I think Dan and I are just going to stay in. I'm going for low-key this year." Blair smiled.

"Really? No huge party? You have to do something. Even if it's just the family." Jenny said.

"Maybe. I don't know. I kind of just want to lay low this year." Blair said taking a sip.

"Wow, you've been spending way too much time with my brother." Jenny laughed.

"It's weird actually. I always swore that I'd never change, especially for a guy, especially for Dan Humphrey," Blair laughed, "but I can't lie. I like the person that I've become since associating myself with him.

"Are you the same Blair Waldorf that forced me out of the city for sleeping with Chuck Bass?" Jenny smirked.

"No. Go ahead and sleep with him again." Blair laughed. "Although Dan's reaction may not have changed."

"Yeah, I'm so not going there." Jenny laughed.

* * *

Blair and Dan had just finished up a meeting with Eleanor and Jenny. Dan began to look over the rough set of their designs.

"So," Blair said, "there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Ok." Dan said continuing to look over the sketches.

"Jenny wanted me to talk to you." She said.

Dan looked up at her. "What is it?" he asked.

"She was wondering if she could use your apartment." Blair told him.

"What do you mean can she use it?" he asked. "I'm not hosting a party."

"She said the commute is getting kind of ridiculous and she wants to be on the Upper East Side." Blair said, "I mean, you're at my place all the time anyway, why not let her use it?"

Dan looked at her and moved to sit on her desk next to her. "Are you asking me what I think you're asking me?" he asked.

"What do you think I'm asking?" she asked smiling.

"Are we really gonna do this? Like actually move in together?" he asked.

Blair smiled. "Well, you're at my place all the time, don't you want your clothes closer?"

"So this is just a matter of convenience?" he asked taking her hand.

"What other reason would there be?" she responded intertwining their fingers.

"I don't know, that you love me and want me to be there every morning when you wake up." He said giving her a kiss.

"It wouldn't suck." She responded giving him another kiss.

"Well," Dan said standing up and moving back to his desk. "You're going to have to ask me."

Blair's mouth dropped as she shook her head. "Fine, it's your little sister that's going to be disappointed that her big brother has an empty apartment won't let her use it as she spends all that time commuting back and forth and back and forth." She said turning to an article for her to proofread.

"Nope, I'll just tell her you didn't ask me." Dan smirked.

"Yes I did."

"Not the way I wanted you to." Dan responded.

"Fine," Blair said. "Will you move in?" she asked quickly.

"Huh?" Dan said with a small smile. "I missed that. Can you speak louder?" he asked.

Blair glared at him. "Will you and your designer suits please take residence in my home?" she asked. "They get the guest closet though." She added.

"What?" Dan laughed. "I move in, but my clothing is treated like it's not welcome? I'm not sure that my clothes would appreciate the downgrade."

Blair laughed. "Well, since you finally learned how to dress I suppose I can clear out some space in my closet."

Dan smiled as he once again stood up and sat next to her on her desk. "Are we really doing this?" he asked. "Are we moving in together?"

"I think we are." She smiled capturing his lips with hers.

They broke apart when they heard a knock on their office door.

Eleanor came in, "I forgot my umbrella." She said picking it up from the floor. "What are you two so happy about?" she asked.

"We just decided to move in together." Blair said then grabbed her phone. "I should probably go call little Humphrey and let her know she can use your place." Blair smiled as she made her way out of the room.

Eleanor took a seat in a vacant chair and looked at Dan. "She's really happy you know."

Dan smiled. "Good, that's what I want, because I'm happy too."

"I know," she smiled. "It's what I want too. I'm also thrilled it's with you. There isn't a young man I trust more with her."

Dan looked up taken aback by her compliment.

"Don't act so surprised, I've been rooting for you two for years." She smiled.

Dan looked through the office glass walls for any sign of Blair. "I was at the store this morning, buying Blair's birthday gift."

"I'm sure she'll love it." Eleanor said.

"She tends to love anything that costs a lot of money." Dan laughed as Eleanor did as well. "It's just – can I tell you something in confidence?" he asked.

"Of course you can Dan." She smiled.

"I was there, looking at all this jewelry, trying to find the perfect thing for her. It wasn't an easy feat. Then I saw these earrings," he laughed. "Something about them just screamed Blair Waldorf. They were elegant and beautiful. Then, the jeweler said she had a set and I thought what the hell might as well look. She sat this ring in front of me –"

"Oh my God! You're proposing!" Eleanor interrupted.

Dan panicked as he started searching for Blair through the walls again. "I didn't say that." He said.

"Did you buy the ring?" Eleanor asked.

"Yes…" he trailed off.

"But?" she asked.

"There isn't really a but. It's just weird that's all. I mean, I picked up that ring and I saw everything flash in front of my eyes. I feel like I saw my entire future and she's very much a part of it." He said. "All of it."

Eleanor smiled. "And you bought the ring."

"I did," he agreed.

"Don't waste any time." Eleanor smiled at him. "I can't wait for you to be a part of the family." She said as they heard the door open.

"Hey," Blair said walking in. "Was there more we needed to discuss?" she asked looking at her mother sitting in the chair talking to Dan.

"No," Eleanor smiled. "I was just leaving. I'll see you tomorrow night." She said standing up and giving her daughter a kiss on the cheek as she made her way out the door.

"What was she so happy about?" Blair asked taking her seat back at her desk.

"I just told her I loved her and Jenny's work." Dan smiled at her.

"Me too. By the way, Jenny said she wants to move in tomorrow." Blair said.

"Of course she'd waste no time kicking me out." Dan shook his head laughing.

* * *

"Why am I doing manual labor?" Nate asked as he stood at the door to Jenny's new apartment holding a shoebox.

"I hardly call that manual labor." Jenny rolled her eyes juggling her big box of clothes.

"Why couldn't we hire people to do this again?" Chuck asked from behind her also carrying a shoebox.

"Because every moving company I called was booked for the day and I really want to be settled by tonight." Jenny said as she put the box down in her apartment.

Nate opened the fridge to find a twelve pack of beer inside. "Leave it to Humphrey to have nothing in here except for exactly what I need." He said grabbing one and offering Chuck, Jenny and Eric one.

"Hey," Dan said as he and Blair walked into the apartment to see how things were coming along.

"How's it going?" Blair asked looking around the still empty apartment.

"Taking a break." Nate said taking a seat on the couch opening his beer.

"You carried up a shoebox." Eric said opening his own bottle.

"It was heavy." Nate glared at him.

"Do you need some help?" Dan asked Jenny.

"Yeah, I was hoping to be moved in by tonight. There's no chance of that with these two bringing up a pair of shoes each time." Jenny said glaring at Chuck and Nate.

"Let's go." Dan said as he and Jenny made their way downstairs.

"So," Nate said taking a drink from his beer. "How are things going?" he asked Blair with a smile.

"What's with the goofy grin?" she asked him.

"Nothing, I just want to know what's up with my oldest friend." Nate smiled.

"Cut the crap Archibald, what do you know?" Blair asked glaring at him.

"I know nothing." He smiled being obvious.

"What is he talking about?" Blair asked turning to Chuck.

"I have no idea." Chuck said glaring at Nate.

"You two know something." She said. "Don't make me hurt you guys."

"Why do you automatically assume that we know something?" Nate asked laughing.

"I have no idea why he tells you guys anything. You guys really suck at keeping secrets." Blair said shaking her head. "Does it have something to do with my birthday?" Blair asked.

"What? No!" Nate panicked. "Why would it have anything to do with your birthday? I mean your birthday's so far away!"

Eric looked up from a magazine he was looking at and laughed. "You're a terrible liar. That was horrible."

"So you guys know what he got me. What is it?" Blair asked excited.

"Yeah, we're so not telling you." Nate laughed.

"Why'd you bring it up then? You knew I'd want to know." She frowned.

"I think you'd be far happier with the surprise." Chuck said shaking his head glaring at Nate.

"Give me a hint then." Blair said. "Am I going to love it?" she asked.

"Depends." Nate said, "do you love him?"

"What?" she asked confused.

"Nathaniel, for once in your life will you please shut the fuck up?" Chuck asked annoyed.

Blair stared at them confused. "I have no idea what you two are talking about." She said shaking her head. "I suppose it's probably for the best though."

"It is." Eric said putting down his magazine. "So, what time's the get together tonight?" he asked changing the subject.

* * *

Blair and Dan walked into Lily's suite just after 7pm to see that they were the last two to arrive.

"And there's my lovely daughter." Eleanor smiled as she got up to hug her. "Happy Birthday dear." She smiled giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you." Blair smiled hugging her mom back and then received the same greeting from everyone else before she took her seat between her mom and Dan.

"So, what'd you get Blair for her birthday Dan?" Nate asked as Chuck glared at him.

Dan glared at Chuck in return. "Seriously Bass? I'm going to start weeding friends out and you and Archibald are going to be first two to go."

"Well that's a given considering we're your only two friends." Nate laughed.

Blair laughed and hugged Dan. "That's not true, I'm your friend too."

"Yeah, well he's boning you, so he's never going to weed you out." Nate said as the entire table except for Dan and Blair laughed.

"And we're no longer friends." Dan said shaking his head.

"And I win." Chuck smiled. "So look who gets to be best man after all."

The entire room went silent and looked at Blair's finger. Blair confused as well turned towards Chuck. "What the hell are you talking about Bass?" she asked.

Dan glared at Chuck so hard Chuck thought Dan's eyes were going to pop out of his head.

"I'm just saying, you know, if you two were to eventually get married, I think I'd be best man." Chuck said nervously.

Eleanor knowing exactly what was going on decided to steer the conversation. "So darling." She said handing her an envelope. "Open my gift." She said smiling.

Blair was completely confused, but never one to turn down a gift took the envelope and opened it. "What is this?" Blair asked pulling out the photo.

"That's a gift from your father, Roman, Cyrus and I." Eleanor smiled.

"A picture?" Rufus asked confused.

Cyrus laughed. "No, not the photo. We bought you that house!" He smiled as Blair's mouth dropped.

"What?" she asked.

"It's in France, completely secluded." Her father added.

"Not too far from us or your mom's place." Roman added.

"Wow," Blair said surprised, "this is amazing."

"You've spent so much time working, you really need a vacation." Her mother said, "what better place than the French country side?" she asked.

"This is amazing." Blair smiled through tears. "When's it available?" she asked.

"It's fully furnished and everything." Her father said, "Only thing missing is you."

"Wow," she said continuing to admire the photo. "When can we go?" she asked turning towards Dan.

Dan looked at her and saw how excited she was. He softly stroked her cheek and said, "Whenever you want to." Before he softly kissed her.

* * *

Dan stood in Lily's office just staring and admiring the New York City skyline.

"What are you doing up here?" Rufus asked as he walked in.

"Just thinking." Dan said giving his father a small smile.

"What about?" Rufus asked taking a seat.

Dan turned around to look at his father. "How do you know?" Dan asked.

"How do you know what?" Rufus asked confused.

"I bought Blair a ring." Dan said he saw the recognition in his dad's face and cut him off before he could say a thing. "I'm not going to ask her. Not today at least." Dan said.

"But you plan to?" Rufus asked.

"Well, yeah. I mean, I can't explain it. The second I saw that ring I just understood it." Dan said and he looked at his dad and laughed. "See, I can't explain it."

"Understood what?" Rufus asked trying to understand his son.

"I just saw what a diamond is supposed to represent, which is forever right?" Dan asked before he shook his head. "What the hell is wrong with me?" he laughed. "I sound like a hallmark card."

"You sound like you know exactly what you want." Rufus said smiling.

"I do. It's just how do I know when the timing's right?" Dan asked.

"You'll know." Rufus said. "You'll feel it. She'll look at you, she'll say something sweet, but you'll know that exact moment." He smiled. "It'll be perfect."

Dan shook his head and then let out a small laugh. "Now you sound like a Hallmark card. Where's Chuck Bass when you need him?" he chuckled. "In all seriousness, you don't think I'm crazy?" he asked.

"Why would I think that?" Rufus asked.

"You and Eleanor have both been supportive. You don't think it's crazy that we've only been dating for three months?" Dan asked.

"You two have been officially dating for two months." Rufus said, "we both know that official date doesn't mean everything."

Dan nodded understanding what his dad meant. There was a soft knock on the door and both Dan and his dad turned towards it.

"Hey," Blair said coming in. "You ready to go home?" she asked smiling.

Dan smiled as he made his way towards her, "yeah, let's go home."

* * *

Jenny sat on the couch watching television trying to decide whether she was going to unpack tonight or just wait until the morning when she heard a knock at her door. Confused she got up and opened the door.

"Hey," Serena said from the other side of the door. "Is your brother here?"

Jenny surprised to see Serena shook her head. "No, he's not here right now. When did you get out?"

"Just tonight." Serena smiled. "I really want to talk to him, don't tell him I stopped by though, I want it to be a surprise." She said as she walked away from the door.

Jenny shut the door and ran to find her phone. "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit, it'll be a surprise alright," she muttered trying to call Dan or Blair to give them a fair warning.

* * *

Walking into their apartment Blair slid out of her heels and turned towards Dan. "So, what's going on?" she asked.

"Huh?" Dan asked taking off his suit jacket and tossing it on the table in the foyer.

"I just realized that I got a gift from everyone tonight. Everyone except for my boyfriend." Blair said looking at his pointedly. "And, if I'm to believe dumb and dumber," she said referring to Nate and Chuck, "then I'm going to love it. So, where is it Humphrey?" she asked excitedly.

Dan looked towards her and laughed. "The thing is, tomorrow's your birthday, and I know I'm going to see you tomorrow. So, you'll get it then."

"Aww," Blair frowned, "but I really want it." She said giving him her best sad eyes.

"You'll get it." He said pulling her towards him then bent down to give her a kiss. "Tomorrow." He smiled.

Before Dan could pull away Blair pulled him back towards her and then hopped up and wrapped her legs around his waste as he pushed her back up against the wall.

"Anything I can do to change your mind?," Blair whispered sexily into his ear.

"Maybe." Dan said capturing her lips in smoldering kiss.

In the background they heard Blair's Blackberry begin to ring.

"Ignore it." Blair whispered as she let her eyes fall shut as he attacked her neck with his lips. She felt her skin tingle every spot that he kissed her. Completely lost within each other neither heard the elevator as it approached their floor.

Blair blissfully sighed as she felt Dan hitch her higher on his waist as his mouth made it's way towards her chest. Fluttering her eyes open, her eyes grew with shock. "Oh my God" she froze unwrapping her legs from around him.

Dan confused by her demeanor glanced at her pale face. Turning around, his mouth dropped as he saw Serena's shocked pained face.


	11. Betrayal

**A/N: Believe me, I'm as surprised as the rest of you that I updated this quickly. LOL**

* * *

**Betrayal**

"S," Blair said softly after what felt like hours of awkward silence.

"Don't." Serena said angrily as she made her way back towards the elevator and started to pound on the down button. "Don't feed me your bullshit. Don't say a fucking word!"

Dan hung his head. This was definitely not the way they wanted her to find out. "Serena," he said trying to wrack his brain for the correct words.

"I was right." Serena said letting her tears slip. "I was right this entire time. I knew it."

"It's not like that!" Blair pleaded

Serena walked towards Blair and got in her face. "I said don't say a fucking word." Serena said angrily.

Dan seeing Serena's anger pulled Blair behind him protecting her.

"Why are you protecting her?" Serena shouted at Dan.

"Serena," he said calmly, "you need to calm down."

"Don't tell me what I need to do! I can't believe how you guys led me to believe there was nothing between you two. You fucking lied to me! You lied to me!" she shouted as the elevator arrived on the floor and she made her way onto it and it quickly shut behind her.

"Oh my God." Blair stood frozen with tears in her eyes.

"Hey," Dan said pulling her into a hug. "It'll be ok." He said kissing her on her forehead.

Blair smiled comforted by him before pulling away and slipping on her shoes. "I have to go after her." She said.

"No." Dan said grabbing her hand. "Give her some time to cool off."

"She just got out of rehab Dan! We can't just let her leave, who knows what could happen to her." She said shaking.

"I'll go." Dan said grabbing his jacket. "You stay here and call Lily. I'll find her." He said pulling on his jacket and pulling out his phone.

They heard the elevator signaling someone's arrival, both hoping it'd be Serena so they could talk it out. Jenny came running out of the elevator.

"Why don't either of you pick up your fucking phones?" she asked out of breath. "Serena's out." She said quietly.

"We know." Dan said shaking his head as he called the building's security office. "Hello?" he said into the phone. "No more visitors tonight." He told the officer. "Cut off access to the 24th floor." He said not wanting to take any chances.

Blair slipped off her shoes as she stood there numbly begging her brain to process the last twenty minutes.

Dan hung up his phone and turned towards Blair. "I'll find her." He said softly. "It'll be okay."

Blair nodded softly as he pulled her into his arms.

"I promise you." Dan said holding onto her. "We'll get through this."

Blair looked up into his eyes and kissed him. "Be careful." She said.

Dan nodded before turning to his sister. "Can you stay with her until I get back?" he asked.

"Of course." Jenny responded watching as he made his way to the elevator.

* * *

Serena walked into the apartment she had shared with some friends for the last few years.

"Hey, check out who's back." Travis called from the floor as she walked in.

"Where the hell have you been bitch?" Nikki asked while doing a line.

"Had some stuff to take care of." Serena said as she took a seat. Nikki passed her the coke, but Serena waved it off. "I'm good."

"We ran out of cash." Nikki said. "Any chance your mom wants to see you again?" she asked hopefully.

"I doubt it." Serena shrugged.

Serena took a glance around and saw the last four years of her life flash before her eyes in this apartment. She looked at her strung out friends and shook her head. Being sober gave her a new outlook and yes, after the night's events she'd love nothing more than a release. She shook with anger just thinking about it. Two of the most important people in her life had been sneaking around behind her back. How could they do this to her?

"Yo Serena," Travis called from his spot on the floor pulling Serena out of her reverie. "You got a thousand dollars?" he asked. "We're almost out of blow."

Serena shook her head disgustingly as she stood up and made her way out. This world had cost her almost everything, and she was determined to win everything back.

* * *

Serena walked into her mother's apartment and breathed a sigh of relief as she felt some of her anxiousness depart from her body.

"Hey," her little brother called from the couch. "I was hoping you'd come here."

Serena smiled making her way to him giving him a hug. "Yeah, it's been a long night." She sighed.

"Everyone's out looking for you." Eric said. "Where'd you go?" he asked.

"Well," Serena shrugged, "I stopped by at Dan's, well Blair's. Big mistake. Then I stopped by at my old place."

Eric looked at her alarmed. "What happened?"

"I caught Dan and Blair two minutes away from fucking." She said shaking her head trying to remove the image from her mind.

"No," Eric shook his head. "at your place."

"Nothing," she smiled. "That part of my life is a closed chapter. Promise."

Eric smiled looking at his sister. "Good." He said hugging her. "I'm proud of you."

"Thanks." Serena smiled at him.

Eric pulled out his phone so that he could put an end to the search party. "Hey, she's here." He said into his phone before hanging up.

"Who was that?" Serena asked.

"Dan…" Eric trailed off. "Why didn't you tell me you were getting out?" he asked.

"It was meant to be a surprise. Turns out the real surprise was on me." She said rolling her eyes. "How long's it been going on?" she asked. "How long have they been sleeping together behind my back?"

Eric shook his head. "It's not really like that." He said.

"So you did know." She said as she let tears slip out from her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"They wanted to be the ones to." He said.

"I knew there was something up. I always knew they were lying to me. Telling me there were work meetings and work trips. I knew it was bullshit." Serena said.

Eric looked at her and raised his eyebrows. He wanted to tell her. Tell her everything, but it wasn't his place. "I swear to you Serena, it's not like that. You really just need to talk to them."

They both looked up as they heard the elevator arrive onto their floor.

"Hey," Dan said as he walked into the apartment alone. "Can we talk?" he asked Serena.

"I haven't called my mom yet to let her know Serena's here, so I'm going to do that. Upstairs." Eric said awkwardly leaving them behind as he made his way upstairs.

Dan took a seat in the chair vacated by Eric. "Serena," he said softly after moments of awkward silence. "What you saw back there, that's not how we wanted you to find out."

"Spare me." Serena said shaking her head. She was tired of the tears, anger, and pain, so she sat there numbly. "You kept it from me all this time. Don't pretend like you were going to tell me."

Dan shook his head. "It's really not like that-"

"Will people stop fucking saying that?" she yelled interrupting him. "That's what you all keep saying. Explain it to me then! Explain to me how it's not like that!"

"I love her." Dan said deciding honesty was probably the best policy.

Serena's mouth fell open in shock. "You love her?" she asked. "You love her?" she asked again louder trying to comprehend his words.

"I love her." He repeated.

"How did this happen?" she asked as she felt her eyes tear up again. "I know that I haven't been the best person these last few years, but why? Why would you do this to me?" she asked as her whole body began to shake with tears.

Dan sighed sympathetically. "This isn't about you Serena."

"Yes it is!" she yelled. "You guys are punishing me. I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" she cried.

"Serena," Dan said. "No one's punishing you. I wouldn't do that. Blair wouldn't do that."

Serena rolled her eyes amongst her tears. "Please, do you really expect me to believe that? Blair would. It's what she does. It's who she is. You couldn't possibly love her if you don't know that."

"It's been a long time Serena, we're older. We're adults now, we don't really play games anymore." He told her.

"Blair could never change." Serena said shaking her head.

"Look Serena," Dan said bending over and capturing her eye contact. "I will always love you." He said. "I will. You were my first love and there were days when my life revolved around you. All I want, all I've ever wanted, all any of us has ever wanted was for you to be happy. Why wouldn't you want that for me?" he asked. "For Blair?"

Serena shook her head as tears began threatening again. "You make me happy. You're what makes me happy."

"We both know that isn't true." He said softly. "You had me and you were miserable. You had me and I was miserable. Eventually we were both going to have to accept that it just wasn't meant to be."

"No, I can't accept that." Serena cried. "You are the love of my life. I feel it."

"I'm sorry, but I don't." He apologized.

"No." Serena shook softly. "So I'm just supposed to sit around and watch as you and Blair continue doing whatever the hell you're doing?"

"You don't really have a choice." He said honestly. "Blair and I are real. That's what I feel. That's what she feels. There isn't anything you could do to change that."

Serena erupted with sobs as Dan slowly stood up and made his way to the elevator. He hung his head low as he heard something crash and shatter against the wall.

* * *

Dan walked into the apartment that he shared with Blair to see Jenny sitting alone.

"Hey," Jenny said softly greeting her brother. "How's Serena?" she asked.

"I don't know." He answered honestly. "How's Blair?" he asked.

"She hasn't said a word since you left. She's in bed." She said pulling on her coat. "Call me if you need anything." She said giving Dan a hug as she made her way home.

Dan slowly made his way towards their bedroom hoping not to wake her if she was asleep. He slowly opened the door to find her sitting on the edge of the bed wide-awake.

Blair looked up at him with red puffy eyes. "How's Serena doing?" she asked softly.

Dan walked over to her and sat down pulling her to his chest. "I'm more concerned with how you're doing." He told her.

She turned towards him allowing herself to let her tears escape. "This is going to change everything isn't it?" she asked.

Dan closed his eyes and sighed. "No. This changes nothing. Blair," he said lifting up her chin. "I love you. It's you and it will always be you. Serena could never change that."

Blair nodded feeling his heartbeat against her. She knew that. She knew how much Dan loved her. She couldn't help it though. This wasn't because she didn't trust Dan. It's because for so much of her life Serena got everything Blair ever wanted. It couldn't happen this time though.

* * *

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Serena asked Nate as she walked into Dan and Blair's office building.

"First day on the job." He smiled giving her a hug. "I heard you got out. How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good." She said smiling at him. "So you're working huh? That's different." She laughed.

Nate laughed good-naturedly. "Yeah, no one's more surprised then I am, but it's about time. You know?"

"Definitely. So what kind of work are you doing?" she asked.

"Dan and Blair are working on this new project and they needed a sports columnist. Getting the job was pretty easy considering a couple of my best friends own it." He laughed softly trying to hide his discomfort when he saw Serena visibly flinch at the mention of Dan and Blair. "So, what are you doing here anyway?" he asked her.

"No trouble. I swear." She said dawning a fake smile. "I just didn't really get a chance to talk to Blair last night, so I was hoping I could stop by real quick. Apologize."

Nate nodded his head, not really believing her. Dan had told him about the blow up. However, he decided if Serena got what she wanted, which was to talk to Blair, the safest place was probably in their office. "I'll take you up." He said as he waved off the receptionist letting her know that Serena was with him.

* * *

Blair looked up from her work to see Nate opening the door to her and Dan's office.

"Hey," Blair smiled, but it faltered as she saw Serena come in behind him. She looked at Dan panicked as he stood by his desk.

"Serena said she needed to talk to Blair real quick." Nate said giving Dan a worried look.

"Please, B?" Serena asked hopefully.

Blair nodded. "Sure." She smiled. "Give us a few minutes." She said to Dan.

Dan nodded as he made his way toward the door passing Blair's desk and grabbing her hand. "I'll be right outside." He told her before letting go and leaving.

Blair nodded knowing he meant he was going to be watching through the glass walls.

Serena's eyes followed Dan until he stepped out of the office and the door shut behind him. Her eyes turned back towards Blair giving her a fake smile. "Well, wasn't that cute?"

"Why are you here?" Blair asked leaning back in her chair.

"I know why you're doing this." Serena said.

"Doing what?" Blair asked confused.

"Dan. You're still mad at me about Nate." Serena said.

Blair looked at her incredulously. "You realize that it's been almost ten years right?"

"Then what is this about?" Serena asked. "What did I do for you to take away something that you know mattered so much to me?" Serena asked.

Blair shook her head. She really didn't feel like going through this. "You've got to be kidding me Serena. The world doesn't revolve around you. My relationship with Dan has nothing to do with you."

Serena laughed. "You may have everyone else fooled, but I know you. There's something more to this, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it."

"Is it that hard for you to believe that I've changed? I love Dan. It's as simple as that." Blair said.

Serena shook her head laughing. "You don't have to tell me, but I will find out." She bent over Blair's desk to look Blair straight in the eyes. "I'm not giving up without a fight. This is war bitch."


End file.
